A Wizard in the Clouds
by Old Shuck of the Hills
Summary: Post-Hogwarts. The war is over, but Harry still has no time to relax when he's "convinced" to help a pair of twins with a job of great importance. Harry: "What do I have to do?" Twins: "Simple Mr. Potter. Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt." What have you gotten yourself into this time Potter? Harry/Elizabeth, Harry/?
1. Chapter 1

~O0o-(A Wizard in the Clouds)-o0O~

Harry Potter X Bioshock Infinite

Chapter 1

1912

Coast of Maine

I haven't seen a storm like this since my quidditch match back in third year. If it wasn't for the fedora on my head it would undoubtedly be as soaked as the rest of my body. Glancing at the choppy water all around us I couldn't help but wonder about where these people were taking me. Looking towards the front of the small row boat I was starting to wonder if they even knew where we were heading. I guess it would be a bad time to start questioning their sense of direction at this point in time. I mean so far they'd brought me back to an alternate timeline of my own world and nearly seventy years before I'd even be born.

'If I would be born in this timeline,' I thought to myself as I was reminded of my third year and the time turner incident. Time travel could be really confusing thing at times.

"How'd you get yourself into this mess Potter?" I asked myself for what felt like the hundredth time in my life. You'd really thing at this point in my life I'd just stop asking that question.

1998

London

It was a rhetorical question of course since I could remember with perfect clarity what brought me to this point in my life. I'd just defeated the dark wizard Tom Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort, at what the papers were starting to call 'The Battle of Hogwarts.' The resistance, which was really only made up of the students of Hogwarts, the staff, the citizens of Hogsmead Village, and only a handful of adults who had been willing to take a stand against Riddle and his followers, were all that stood between magical Britain and subjugation under the thumb of the dark lord. It'd felt like ages since I first learned about the wizarding world and returned to it when I was eleven; which in and of itself felt like a lifetime ago since those innocent times before the start of the Second Blood War. We'd lost a lot of good people along the way many of them close friends and classmates; including most of the people I could still call family. Unfortunately, after the battle we'd had almost no time to really relax when the Ministry had arrived and tried to take credit for the defeat of the greatest dark wizard ever. Damned pillocks even tried to arrest us for threatening the pureblood lines with extinction. Needless to say the fighters of the resistance weren't too keen on allowing this and there had almost been another fight right then and there. However cooler heads had prevailed that day thanks to myself, my friends, and several ministry works that'd been involved in the battle. It was just unfortunate that that wasn't to be our only conflict in the aftermath of the war. We'd barely had the opportunity to lay the dead to rest when we were caught flat footed from an unexpected source…the Goblins.

It was at the funeral for Remus and Dora where they'd chosen to show up. The funeral was a small gathering at the cemetery in Godric's Hollow with only me, Andromeda Tonks, and my godson Teddy. The Weasley family, minus a few members, and I'd had a falling out with the death of Charlie at the final battle; and they'd outright refused to show up not only for that reason, but also for some hatred Mrs. Weasley seemed to carry towards Remus and Dora. While I could somewhat understand their anger towards me for Charlie's death, I couldn't understand the later for the life of me. Mrs. Weasley had always been friendly with Remus and Dora and this anger she seemed to carry made no sense in the grand scheme of things. My other best friend Hermione Granger had left at the start of the week for Australia to find her parents and return their memories to them so her absence was at least understandable. All things considered it was probably for the best that she didn't show up. The Goblins arrived just after Andromeda had told me that she had something of great importance that she needed to talk to me about. They'd come looking for Hermione, Ron, and myself in regards to our break-in of Gringotts when we'd been searching for Voldemort's horcruxes. At spear point I'd been arrested as a thief against the sovereign Goblin Nation of Britain at led off to their dungeons.

Next thing I knew I was in a holding cell at the behest of the Goblin Nation and their king Ragnuk the Ninth. He'd demanded to know where my accomplices were and I'd done my best to convince them that two recently deceased students had been the ones with me for the break-in. Unfortunately; the king and his council weren't buying the lie. I'd been in that cell for over a week before King Ragnuk had come down and informed me that I was to be released. I was shocked since I was under the belief that I was going to be a prisoner of the Nation for the rest of my life; or at the very least till my execution. Turns out that someone very high up had bought my debt from the Nation and given it to two unknown individuals. This shocked me even more since I doubt the Goblins would've just released me, a thief, to anyone outside of the nation. It worried me when I'd originally thought it could've been someone like Lucius Malfoy or some other remaining Death Eater; possibly even some ministry stooge who could be looking for some political favor for springing me. When I was led out of the bank I was handed three shrunken trunks and informed that they contained everything from my family vaults which included the Black vault, Peverell vault, and the Potter vaults, which also included my trust vault. Apparently this had been part of the deal that this mysterious benefactor had gotten for me. This only added to the questions I had on my savior's identity, since I'd assumed the nation would've either confiscated my vaults or simply destroyed anything they didn't deem valuable in them. As I was led out of the bank, by spear point again, I was informed viciously by the speakers for the King's Council that I, and any member of my family, were thus and forever barred from Gringotts; with the added provision that stepping foot on sovereign Goblin land would cost me my life. All things considered things could have been far worse for me. By all rights I should probably be dead five times over by now if my calculations were right.

I found myself leaving Diagon Ally so that I could head for Andromeda's home to let her know that I was okay and free from the Goblins. Unfortunately upon leaving the Leaky Cauldron I was confronted by a pair of people dressed in matching clothes from the 1910s. The man and woman were obviously twins and they introduced themselves to me as Robert and Rosalind Lutece. Both reminded me a lot of Fred and George with them finishing each other's sentences in a slick, intelligent BBC accent; also the fact that they were both redheads only made the comparison even more uncanny. They informed me that they were now the holders of my debt and they'd wanted to meet me personally. I was worried they were here to cash in that debt already, but they said they were just informing me that they were allowing me a one month reprieve to get my affairs in order before they would come to call on my debt. Something that'd been part of the deal bartered for my services. I was immensely happy to hear this since the week in the tender care of the goblins hadn't been the best on my body. I asked them what my debt would entail only for them to give me a very chilling statement.

"Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt."

I didn't know what to think of that statement as I made my way to the Tonks' home. When Andromeda answered the door and saw my thin, sunken face she'd gasped before bringing me in for a tight hug. I was able to meet Teddy again who seemed happy to see me which brought my mood up greatly. Then Andy, as she insisted on me calling her, had me sit down and she got us some lunch and tea. The food tasted wonderful, although I'd think anything would taste wonderful after a week of gruel from the Goblins. Master warriors, bankers, and smiths they may be, but master chefs they are not. We talked for a bit with me telling her what happened in the Nation, as well as my debt now being owned by two unknowns with a seedy sounding job for me. She was both happy and worried with how I'd managed to be released from the Goblins. I shared both those feelings as well with a healthy amount of suspicion. Who were those twins? And what did they mean by "Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt?" And most importantly, who saved me from the Goblins?

Only after we'd had a filling lunch did we sit down to discuss what Andy had wished to tell me after the funeral over a week ago. What she'd told me shocked me to my core. It turns out I'd been lied to by some of the people I'd trusted most in my life. It started with Andy handing me two potions. I'd been reluctant at first till she'd threatened to force them down my throat. I think she may actually be scarier than Bellatrix ever was. She informed me that for the conversation we were going to have they would be necessary. After downing the first potion I'd ran full tilt to the loo as my stomach decided that there was suddenly no vacancies at the inn. I don't care how often someone vomits it never feels good. Once the potion had done its job I felt drastically different. Almost like a fog had been lifted from my very being as my angst, guilt and depression from the war started to fade into the back ground. Anger replaced my guilt and loyalty towards the Weasley family. I'd done everything in my power to stop Riddle and his Death Eaters whenever I was able to only to be shunned by the majority of the family, minus the twins, Bill, and Fleur. My respect for Dumbledore, Snape, and the teachers of Hogwarts was replaced with deep resentment from the fact that my friends and I had to handle so many situations that should have been handled by those in charge.

In fact, the more I thought upon my years at Hogwarts things seemed to be almost planned to unfold the way they did. Even my mind started to feel like I could think clearer. Where my thoughts had always felt cluttered unless I was in the heat of battle I felt calm and logical. Even more disturbing I had a very bad feeling that this wasn't the first time I'd had these thoughts and feelings.

It didn't take much thought as to what Andy gave me. A purging potion. But what had it purged? After I asked her I started to wish I hadn't. Apparently I'd been under long term loyalty potions and even mental dampening potions. Memory charms had even been used on me according to a scan done by Dora and her mother. I don't remember this scan, but that was the nature of memory charms. They made me loyal and malleable to certain people that the potion was keyed to; as well as stunted my mental abilities like thinking clearly and problem solving. Andy even said the nature of these potions would've affected any occlumency lessons. When I asked her how she knew to give it to me she smiled sadly and told me that her Dora and Hermione had told her. Hermione had only noticed after she herself started to notice something was off when she almost didn't go looking for her parents when the Weasleys, mainly Mrs. Weasley and Ron, had told her she didn't need to; to just forget about them. Dora had noticed the differences for another reason that Andy said would be revealed after I'd taken the second potion. I couldn't help but be worried what the second potion would entail. Andy did warn me with this one that it would be more jarring since it would be a memory restorative potion of her own design. I looked from the viscous lime green liquid to her in trepidation.

"What am I going to remember?" I asked shakily.

"Everything," was Andy's cryptic answer.

Without a second thought I downed the potion without any more questions. I would not be left in the dark anymore.

1912

Coast of Maine

I was brought out of my musings by my 'employers' banter. I found it easier to think of them as employers instead of those that essentially owned my life.

"Are you going to just sit there?" Robert asked.

"As compared to what? Standing," replied Rosalind snarkily.

I felt a quick tick dance along my lips as they did their little verbal dance. I'd started to get used to it on the trip and I had to admit they were quick; nearly as quick as Fred and George, which made my comparison when I first met them even more accurate.

"Not standing," he stated quickly. "Rowing."

"Rowing? Hadn't planned on it," Rosalind replied. I'm sure I could feel the smirk on her lips. I started to wonder if they'd done this before. I was surprised when she handed me a small wooden box about the size of a shoe box.

"So you expect me to shoulder the burden," shot back Robert.

"What's this?" I asked her simply. I doubt I was expecting a reply if I was honest with myself. The twins continued their banter as I looked at the box only half paying attention. It was a dark wood, maybe rosewood or walnut, with a plaque on it that read;

Property of

Booker DeWitt

7th Calvary. Wounded Knee

Who's Booker DeWitt? He was obviously a military soldier if the plaque was to be believed. Wounded Knee if I remember my American history correctly from the crash course I was given in preparation for this…expedition, I guess; was a conflict between the American government and Lakota Indians. Of course I believe the term massacre did come up a time or two. I opened the box and saw several items within. Two postcard sized papers on the underside of the lid; one was a blurred looking photo of a girl that was close to my age, meanwhile the other was an actual postcard with an angelic-like statue that read 'Monument Island.' A semiautomatic pistol that I think I remember from some pictures I'd seen from World War One books in primary school was also inside. Luckily my 'employers' thought it was a good idea to get lessons on how to use firearms and supplied me with a years worth of combat training for this world; good thing too otherwise I wouldn't have the slightest clue how to use the thing. Under the pistol was an ornate key, another postcard-sized piece of paper with symbols and numbers on it, some silver coins I couldn't recognize, and the coordinates for New York. I quickly pocketed the four papers so they wouldn't get too damaged by the rain, then the coins and key, and lastly I chambered the pistol to load a round and holstered it in the shoulder rig that'd been suggested by my mysterious teacher after my training was completed. I say mysterious since I can't for the life of me remember his name or his face. Worrisome wouldn't begin to describe that feeling.

"Pardon ma'am? How much longer till we're there?" I asked. It was only then that I noticed through the rain the massive lighthouse in front of us that we were heading towards. I guess it wouldn't be too much longer if that was our destination. We came up to a small wooden pier that jutted out from the land at the base of the lighthouse.

"He's not moving." I was shaken out of my observations of the lighthouse and pier by Rosalind's comment.

"He will…eventually," Roberts comment caught me locking eyes with him over his sister's shoulder. I could see he was trying not to grin which only got a minor glare from me. They needed my help, granted I need to get this debt off my back too, so they could stand to use a little patience. Of course I wouldn't want to be stuck out here in the middle of this storm if I could help it either. I quickly climbed the latter hoping my hat would stay on to at least keep my head dry. The wind made that difficult. Once at the top of the latter I caught myself looking up at the lighthouse again. Seeing the rain on my glasses and feeling it on my face I tipped my hat to cover me.

"Shall we tell him when we'll be returning?"

My eyes quickly flew back down to the boat I'd just got out of as the twins were starting to leave the dock.

"Would that change anything?" Robert asked as he rowed away.

"Might give him some comfort," I heard Rosalind reply.

"At least that's something we can agree on."

"Oi!" I hollered at them. "I thought you were supposed to help me get to this place. Is somebody else meeting me here?"

"I'd certainly hope so," called back Robert as he continued rowing with no pause.

"It does seem like a dreadful place to be stranded."

I glared at them as they continued to paddle away. This just wasn't my…anything really. I ducked under the small weathered marina cover that was on the end of the pier to the opposite side that I'd been dropped off at. It'd seen better days, especially if the boat inside was any indication. After I'd seen the twins vanish into the storm I looked back up at the lighthouse. I could see it better from this distance, but it was still an impressive, weathered obelisk in the sea.

"Guess I better see if anyone else is here," I thought out loud. Looking down I confirmed that I was starting to look like a drowned rat too. Maybe I'd be able to dry off up there too if I'm lucky. Right?! Me lucky? That'd be the day.

I made my way down the pier as quickly and safely as I could without slipping. At the end, it dropped off onto some rocks that were apart of the base of the island. I also noticed another boat docked there. Maybe someone else is here? Although it was pretty beaten up too.

Making my way up the stairs I came upon the large double doors to enter the lighthouse and I paused at the note nailed to the one of the doors. Giving it a quick read sent my nerves on high alert for all the wrong reasons.

POTTER!

BRING US THE

GIRL AND WIPE

AWAY THE DEBT

THIS IS YOUR

LAST CHANCE!

It wasn't the threatening way the note was written that put me on high alert, nor the fact this was my 'last chance' when this was my only time going through this however; it was the splatters of blood on the bottom corner that did that. I was being threatened and if I was being threatened then who else was being threatened. My thoughts immediately went to Andy, Teddy, and Hermione and her family back in my home dimension. That pissed me off. They were the only family I had left and I'd be damned if I let anything happen to them. I may not like the thought of possibly kidnapping this girl, but I wasn't going to let them down. Besides before coming back here Andy and Hermione gave me some food for thought about this situation. Maybe this girl…perhaps this girl had been kidnapped and brought here against her will; and I was here to save her. I'd have to hope that was the case. There were only three things that really bothered me currently about this situation.

The first was the fact I had to come to a different dimension to find this girl that was so important. That meant that the Lutece twins were either magical or had incredibly high tech gadgets the likes of which I doubt the world has seen yet in my dimension. This made me wonder why they didn't just save the girl themselves. If she was that important then this should be easy for them, yet they needed someone else to do it.

Second, what was this city supposed to be like? All I'd been told was it was a city that the girl was in. Nothing else. That worried me since I'd like to at least have an idea of what I was truly getting myself into. However the Lutece twins hadn't been very forthcoming with information and neither had my teacher who prepared me for this expedition. The only solace I had was the fact that he seemed about as concerned about it as I had before just shrugging and saying I'd probably be fine. I'm starting to think he was a bit of an arse. Thankfully he'd at least seen fit to teach me some basic knowledge of the time I was being sent to during the year of training.

Finally, what did they want with the girl? This was the one that probably haunted me more than the other two worries. It could be something as simple as a family wanting their family member back to something far more sinister. I decided to take my teacher's advice to heart and simply wait and see. I'd take her to New York and see what happened. If it was good I'd leave it as is and all would be well. If not…well I've gotten out of worse situations and I'd be damned if I left her behind. Luckily Andy, Hermione, and myself had thought ahead and moved the entire family out of Britain.

"Is anyone here? This is Harry Potter. The Luteces sent me." I knocked on the door calling out to see if anyone was in the lighthouse. I opened the door and was greeted with some old time music playing from an old radio maybe, or a record player. Maybe someone was here. Looking around the bottom floor was dark with only a single candle and the lightning from outside being the only sources of light. The candle stood by a washing basin with towels around it under an embroidered sign that said, 'Of thy sins shall I wash thee.' I took the time to dry off my clothes and clean my hands and face in the basin.

Coming to a different dimension was an interesting experience to be sure, but also about seventy years before I would be born was its own thing. Luckily my teacher had helped me dress for the time period so I wouldn't stand out too much. I was wearing simple, but practical clothing. The shoes were the only real modern bit of clothing that I was wearing since I tried to wear the period shoes in the training I had before coming here and that showed us that I'd be better off with some modern combat boots. These would also not really raise any red flags since the navy blue-black colored, pinstripe trousers fit over them fine. I took off my shoulder harness that held my pistol and placed it next to the basin; next I removed my black leather vest and shook it out to get it dry. My navy blue Oxford shirt was already starting to dry. I readjusted my black suspenders and loosened my simple crimson tie while unbuttoning the top two buttons. Damn thing was too tight around the neck especially if I was going to have to fight anytime soon. I rolled up my sleeves to elbow height and put my vest and holster back on. I took off my fedora and shook it quickly before putting it back on my head. This was something my teacher had insisted on saying it would match the outfit great. Personally I think he just liked Indiana Jones a little too much.

Finally, I took off my new glasses and shook them once to free them of excess water. They had been a gift from Hermione and her parents and she'd done a great job enchanting them for me. While we were told that magic didn't work here in this time period we'd hoped that magic would carry over. In some ways we'd been right, but in others wrong. I then noticed something odd. I turned over my right hand and saw two letters on the back of it that seemed to be branded into it. How'd I not notice that?

Wait…the music stopped. That gave me hope that someone was here to help me, but why hadn't they called down to me. Forgetting about the letters on my hand, I looked up towards the ceiling of the first floor with suspicion. Times like now I wish I was able to do magic. Unfortunately, passing through the dimension rip had made me into a squib. I could still feel my magic just fine so it was still there, but I couldn't use it. Made my job that much more difficult really.

After getting kitted back up, I noticed the spiral staircase to my right leading up. Seeing nothing else of interest down on the bottom floor I made my way up to the second floor. I saw more signs like the one above the basin along the stairway walls. They all had religious verses on them. I'd never been a church going person, but they at least sounded nice.

"Is anyone here? Hello?" No answer again. My senses were telling me to stay on alert and after this many years I'd learned to listen to them. At the top of the first rung of stairs on the second floor was a window. Looking out I could see a city with its lights burning bright. Not too far from the window was an old fashioned desk with papers, books, an old rotating dial telephone, and an old typewriter on it. Taking a chance I lifted up the receiver to my ear. No tone. Looking up on the wall I saw a map of America with red string and pins dotting around it. There was also a schedule for Columbia which seemed odd. I guess that's the city I'm supposed to be heading to. Maybe there would be a boat to ferry me coming, but why were the dots spanning all across the states. Then I saw another note that brought my senses back to the uneasy feeling I was getting.

Be Prepared.

He's on his way.

You must stop him.

-C

That note could only mean me. That means someone is here and is supposed to stop me. I calmly drew the pistol from my holster and brought it up in a combat stance and turned slowly. I could tell this was the living area for the keeper of the lighthouse. This looked like a combination bedroom, kitchen, and study. But…where was he? I saw the radio next to the bed that must have been playing when I came in. It was quiet now. Looking around I came to a stop at what I saw next. An overturned table; food on the floor with broken dishes; pans and a chair thrown around; and finally a large splatter of blood on the table. There'd been a fight here. And somebody had been injured pretty badly if the blood was any marker. I saw another set of stairs leading up with more signs. Scanning the area to make sure no one was hiding on the second floor I cautiously made my way up the stairs. After the first step I brought my gun back up when I saw a bloody hand print on the wall.

"Well Potter." I whispered to myself. "The game's afoot."

Making my way to the top of the stairs saw more signs of a fight before I stopped in my tracks. My instincts were screaming at me to get out, find a way back home, and disappear with the family.

"Bugger me," I said through gritted teeth.

There under a light was a man with a bag over his head and blood everywhere. Scanning the rest of the floor yielded nothing. Nobody else was here. The only thing to contradict that thought was the still smoking cigarette in the ashtray on the table next to the body. The tools of his torture were still around. The man was dead. No doubt about that with the bloody hole in the sack where his forehead more than likely was. Was this the man that'd been waiting for me? Who'd killed him? I'm only getting more questions to the list and I'm not even in the city yet. 'Don't disappoint us.' That message was written on a sign draped around the dead man's neck. I couldn't stop the gulp that escaped me. Was it the twins? Would they do this? How important is this girl?

I couldn't do anything to help this poor bastard and I was in too deep to get out now. Besides if the twins were involved in this man's death; what did that mean for me? Best just to continue and try to take my teacher's last bit of advice he'd given to me before I stepped through to this side; "Do what you do best kid. Survive."

I saw another spiral of stairs leading up to the top of the lighthouse. If I remember from my observations outside; I should be heading up to the final floor. With a final look back at my dead want-to-be assassin I focused back onto the task and brought my gun back up; ready in case I was wrong about being alone. Coming out onto the gallery deck I looked around towards the city. If that is Columbia I'm going to need to go back down to check that schedule to see when the ferry should arrive. As I make my way back towards the stairs I see three bells under an ornate fixture of an angel of silver. What really caught my eye though was that each bell had a symbol on them. These symbols looked really familiar too.

"Wait!" I said. "The paper."

I pulled out the paper with the symbols and numbers that had been in the box Rosalind had handed me on the boat and sure enough they were the same symbols. A scroll with a 1 next to it. Followed by a key with a 2 on it. Finally a sword with a 2. It seemed pretty obvious what I need to do. What's the worst that could happen? Maybe this was how someone called the ferryman for passage into the city.

I followed the sequence and was met with silence. When suddenly there arose a loud otherworldly horn-like sound and demonic red lights that seemed to come from the skies. I frantically looked around trying to figure out what was happening. Did I do something I wasn't supposed to? Wouldn't have been the first time.

"What the bloody hell is all this," I muttered as the lights and horn continued. I suddenly realized the horn was in a harmony. What it was I had no idea however. Suddenly it stopped and I heard a blinking noise behind me and saw that the light of the lighthouse was blinking in code. The lighthouse was responding to the light and horn from the sky. Once the blinking stopped the red lights and horn were answering back to the code the lighthouse gave. I was so confused. What could be making that noise? The Wright brothers had only built the first working plane about four years earlier in this time. Maybe an airship, but that didn't make any sense either. Nothing else should be up there that could do this.

I suddenly heard alarm bells from behind me and whirled around with my gun up ready to fire only to see the fixture and bells to slide away like a door and for the large lantern to elevate up. Finally a platform settled in front of me with a red chair. Kinda looks like a barbers chair as I look at it. Seeing no other option I made my way inside and holstered the gun. I walked around the chair with suspicion, but ultimately knew what needed to be done. In for a knut in for a galleon I guess.

I sat down in the fancy chair and got situated wondering what would happen next. Unfortunately my answer came when two metal cuffs flung up out of the arms and pinned my hands down to the arm rests. Not good.

"Make yourself ready pilgrim," came a robotic voice from around me. "The bindings are there as a safeguard." Oh bloody wonderful. Wait. Safeguard for what? Next thing I saw was metal panels rising up and surround the chair and more importantly me in a capsule shape. The panels were padded on the inside with several gauges and meters; it even had a porthole for me to see out right in front of me. Neat. In fact if I didn't know any better they reminded me of the old videos we used to watch in primary school about space shuttles and rockets…oh shit!

Suddenly the chair lurched forward causing my fedora to fall off and jostled the gun out of my holster. Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to lament losing my firearm or my fashionable hat. Kinda hard to do either when you're staring at four rocket engines that are firing up just under your feet. My eyes widened in fear as my brain quickly processed the next course of action in my immediate future just as the robotic voice came back with a bloody count down of five. Up. Way up.

"DAMN YOU MURPHY!"


	2. Chapter 2

~O0o-(A Wizard in the Clouds)-o0O~

Harry Potter X Bioshock Infinite

Chapter 2

1912

Coast of Maine

Shit! Shit! SHIT! I was thrashing about as best I could in the chair that now held me in place. I could feel the rockets rumble loader as the voice of the countdown slowly reached one. My panicked face shot up as the countdown ended to see the room disappear from the porthole and I was met with the grey stormy skies. I barely had half-a-chance to notice the sea below all the way to the horizon. I was going up fast and I could hear the robotic voice still, yet only now it was giving out how high the rocket was going. Five thousand feet. My mind was going a mile a second. Was I going to die here? I saw my life flash before my eyes until I final saw the faces of my family. Mum and Dad. Ten thousand feet. Sirius, Remus, and Hermione. Fifteen thousand feet. Andy, Ted, Dora, and Teddy.

Suddenly everything became weightless. Sunlight shined through the porthole and I saw a truly magnificent and awe-inspiring sight. A city. A bloody city in the clouds. How? How was this possible? Am…am I dead? Is this the other side? I was quickly brought back to my senses when I felt the familiar feeling of falling. With how often I'd been on a broom and how much I loved flying I knew the feeling quite intimately. Guess I fall to my death then. However I was wrong again as I heard something above me open and a floating sensation came back. Did a parachute open? Well that's brilliant. I relaxed and almost passed out in relief but then I remembered the city and looked back out of the porthole once again in awe of what I was actually seeing.

It was utterly amazing. The city was massive; maybe as big as London proper. I could see fireworks going off around the city. Were they having some kind of celebration? Could this be the city of Columbia? I doubt it could be anywhere else. I looked around and all the buildings almost looked as if the city had multiple districts on different cloud banks. I could see a large bridge that reminded my of some photos I'd seen of the Brooklyn Bridge. There were even airships moving about like cars in a city would. A bell tower passed in front of the porthole as I floated by. The tower had an odd American flag waving about in the wind. Then a large face came in to view; an older bearded man's face. He reminded me of Dumbledore a bit which wasn't a ringing endorsement. 'Father Comstock, Our Prophet' was printed at the top and bottom of the billboard. 'Great,' I thought sarcastically, 'just what I didn't need.' I couldn't stop glaring at the face as it did nothing but bring back many bad memories after the lies and deceit that we'd uncovered after the war.

I was jostled out of my anger when the rocket I was in came to a sudden stop on top of a building. Looking out I saw some guardrails and a weathervane for a second or two before the capsule started to go down at an elevator pace. I soon started to see writing cut into steel beams that I was passing.

Why would he send his savior unto us,

If we will not raise a finger to our own salvation?

And though we deserve not his mercy,

He has led us to this new Eden,

A last chance for redemption.

I could see gears and beams everywhere between the writings as the rocket slowly made its way down to…wherever it was taking me. I suddenly saw a large stained glass window with the picture of the bearded man from earlier surrounded by people pointing towards a city in the sky. Above the window was written another verse: 'And the Prophet shall lead the people to the new Eden.' I was jarred again when the rocket stopped and the panel with the porthole slid open and the restraints on my wrists popped off. I stood up slowly looking in gobsmacked awe around me.

"This must be some kind of welcome center for new arrivals," I stated to myself. As I stepped out I felt myself splash water around my feet when I noticed that the area was covered in water. By that I don't mean there was a big puddle; I meant that water was ankle deep or so everywhere the only dry areas were the lifted stone steps leading to pews. I could also hear singing all around me from an echo from who knows where. I cocked my head to the side trying to recognize it; the song sounded like "Will the circle be unbroken?" In fact I knew it was. I'd heard the song I time or two around Privet Drive when I stayed with the Dursley family when I was younger. I honestly grew to like the song since it was such a peaceful melody.

As I made my way to the pews I saw a book on one of them and picked it up. The title told me it was 'The Word of the Prophet.' Bloody hell; is this some sort of cult? I also took notice of two statues on either side of the window of female angels with broadswords over their shoulders. There was a waterfall to the right of the rocket that brought me here that seemed to be where all the water was coming from. As I turned to head down the hall I noticed hundreds of candles everywhere casting an eerie glow about the place. The only other form of light seemed to come through the windows from outside. I also noticed another verse at the top of an archway leading to a large statue. 'The Seed of the Prophet shall sit the Throne and Drown in Flame the Mountains of Man.' Well that's not ominous or anything, right?

I soon came face to face with a large statue of the prophet that looked like he was judging you with his hair and beard windswept all around. It again reminded me of Dumbledore with his grandfatherly, judging look. The statue was situated in the center of a circular room with four openings, one of which I was walking through and cautiously making my way down the stone steps. I saw two rooms to either side of my location and decided to check them out. I made my way to the one on the left that had a blue or purple colored glow to it. Inside was another stained glass window, but this one was of a regal-looking woman in a stunning blue outfit. There was writing on the arch at the bottom of this one: "And in my womb shall grow the seed of the prophet." Comstock's wife I'd hazard to guess. There were also two statues on either side of the window of the same woman kneeling in prayer. I made my way forward looking around and saw a small alter on the raised stone steps. To the right was an inlet with her portrait hanging above more candles as if for prayer. As I walked up to it I started to hear a voice in my head suddenly pop up.

"Love the prophet because he loves the sinner," came a woman's voice in my head. I looked around sharply wondering if someone else was here. "Love the sinner because he is you." I was alone in this room. "Without the sinner, what need is there for a redeemer? Without sin, what grace has forgiveness?" What was that? Could it have been some kind of legilimency attack? I was panicking and that wasn't good. I took a steadying breath and waited. There was no more voice. Maybe this is another side effect of coming to this dimension? I looked at the portrait of this Lady Comstock. Could it have been her? But how?

Seeing I'd get no answers from the portrait, I made my way out of this room and across to the other I'd seen. I saw a man dressed in white robes waiting at the top of some stairs that led down to somewhere unknown.

"Pardon mate?" I started. "What is this place?"

"Heaven friend," he answered honestly, "or as close to it as we'll see till judgment day." Well that was helpful. Just go with it Potter best not to make yourself too dodgy looking. I made my way around to look into the other room before heading down the stone steps.

This room was different. Brighter maybe. Hopeful I thought. Yeah. It felt hopeful. There was another large stained glass window, but this one had Comstock, Lady Comstock, and a baby in his arms. Under the window was another verse like the others only this one read: "The Lamb. The future of our city." The two adults had such loving looks that it made my heart ache. It steeled my resolve to move forward and save this girl. However now I had a bad feeling that the girl I was here for was the baby being held in Comstock's arms. Their child. Buggar my life.

Not bothering to go into that room I made my way towards the robed man and the stone steps. Throwing a disarming smile at him, one which he returned, I made my way down the spiral stairs and saw three more stained windows of a sword, a key, and a scroll respectfully. I was starting to wonder what these people's fascination was with those three items. I soon came to a massive cathedral room with angelic statues and columns everywhere with more white robed worshipers all around in knee high water praying. I then heard a preacher to the end of the cathedral surround by dozens of worshipers. I slowly made my way towards the circle listening to the preacher really lay it on thick for his people. Above him was another verse that gave me pause: "This path of forgiveness is the only way to the city." Forgiveness of what? Need I remind you I wasn't much of a church going person although I do know some of the basics. The very basics. Then I suddenly remembered the voice in my head from earlier. Sins. Forgiveness of sin. Well hopefully they can't see into someone's noggin, aye?

"Pardon me," I stated as I broke into the circle knowing this may be my only way through.

"Is it someone new?" spoke the preacher with curiosity. "Someone from the Sodom below?" I made my way forward and noticed that the preacher was blind if the milky white of his eyes was any indication. "Newly come to Columbia to be washed clean before our prophet, our founders, and our Lord?"

"I'm honestly not sure about all that," I stated sheepishly. "I was just looking for passage to the city. I was hoping to start anew up here." I felt bad about lying to the man, but with the people surrounding me and my belief that this was a cult I felt it was best to make them think I was willing to give them a chance. I doubted I could take all of them in a fight if it came down to it.

"Passage to the city?" he said followed by a quiet laugh. "Brother, the only way to Columbia is through rebirth in the sweet waters of baptism. Will you be cleansed, brother?"

I was only looking to pass through, but I could hear the rest of the worshipers getting restless and egging me on. No choice aye? I walked forward and met the preacher's hand with my own. He turned me so that I was facing his people and tilted me back so that I was off balance. It took some restraint on my part not to just chuck him arse-over-tit into the water. Wouldn't take much since he maybe weighed ten stones at best; however if I didn't want a real fight on my hand with no weapons or magic at my disposal I'd best just relax.

"I baptize you in the name of our Prophet, in the name of our founders, in the name of our Lord!" he started and before I could think about it anymore I was dunked backward into the water. I could still hear him as I was held under for a few seconds. Luckily I was prepared for it and wasn't too caught off guard by it. I was a little annoyed that I was going to have to dry off again though. He brought me back up out of the water.

"I don't know brothers and sisters," he stated innocently. "But this one doesn't look clean to me." Unfortunately he did catch me off guard the second time he dunked me. I looked at him questioningly before I saw the pranksters gleam in his milky eyes. He pushed me back under and I started to struggle to get lose until I passed out from oxygen. Just brilliant.

Unknown

I heard a rushed pounding on a door to my office. Wait? Office? I don't have an office. I opened my eyes to see a cluttered desk in front of me. It looked like an old private eye desk from some of the old black and white movies Dora had me watch once during the summer before my forth year. Looking up only confirmed I was in a detective's office from the early 1900s or so. The banging on the door only got more insistent not giving me a chance to look around.

A voice called out fiercely from behind the door. "Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt!"

"What do you want?" I couldn't help but shout back.

"We had a deal Dewitt! Open this door right now."

DeWitt? Wasn't that the name on the box the Rosalind gave me? I got up from the cluttered desk and made my way to the door and opened it ready to deck the tosser banging on it. Instead I stood in shock and horror at the devastation in front of my eyes. New York City on fire and being attacked by airships just like the ones I'd seen flying around Columbia from the rocket I flew in. And above the airships was the looming shadow of Columbia, the city in the sky. Before I could question what I was seeing one of the airships turned towards my location and fired a rocket at me and my world went white.

Columbia

Garden of New Eden

I came to with a gasp and coughed up the water in my lungs. Someone should really tell that bastard the difference between a prank and murdering someone. Once I'd gotten my breath back I looked up to see three worshipers praying in front of three statues. As I looked at the statues I over heard the worshipers call them the founders. I was suddenly aware of who they were. The Founders of America, well three of the most well known anyway. George Washington, the first president and leader of the revolution. Thomas Jefferson, the third president and primary author of the Declaration of Independence. And finally, Benjamin Franklin, the man who discovered electricity and avid inventor; not to mention a trusted diplomat. I also noticed those three symbols again although this time they were each being held by one of the statues. Suddenly it clicked. The sword in Washington's hands symbolizes the soldier: the key in Franklin's hands a symbol of the scientist: and the scroll in Jefferson's hands speaks of the scholar. Strength, wisdom, and order; those must be the foundations of Columbia.

I shook my head to clear it of my eureka moment. One thing figured out still hundreds of questions still unknown. What a depressing thought. Knowledge was Hermione's thing, not mine damn it! I shook my head again thinking about my best friend as I made my way up the stairs passing another robed worshiper with a handlebar mustache and goatee, talking about what a good thing almost being drowned could be. 'Mental that one,' I thought. Oh brilliant, now I'm channeling Ron of all people. Funnily enough I saw a large raven perched on the handrail looking around before it locked onto me. I almost felt like it was grinning at me. Then I noticed that I was in a beautiful garden that would've made my Aunt Petunia green with envy. I could even see hummingbirds feeding from the rose bushes all around the garden. As I made my way I became aware of all the worshipers and what they were saying. Laying the greatness of the founders out as if they were gods. Great men they may have been in their time, but they were still men. No one can just become God. Or a prophet for that matter.

I saw more statues of angelic girls with more cryptic writing on them as I made my way around this garden. 'What is Columbia, if not another Ark for another time?' Huh? Interesting take.

As I make my way towards what I can assume to be the exit I see yet another banner-like stone sign above the double doors; the very same verse that gave me a bad feeling when I first left the rocket etched into it. 'The seed of the Prophet shall sit the throne and drown in flame the mountains of man.'

This time the statement brought me up short as I felt a chill go down my spine and made the hairs one the back of my neck stand on end after that weird dream I'd had when the preacher nearly drowned me. This couldn't be good. Not one bit I'd say.

"Just what I needed in my life," I muttered bitterly, "another bloody prophecy."


	3. Chapter 3

~O0o-(A Wizard in the Clouds)-o0O~

Harry Potter X Bioshock Infinite

Chapter 3

1912

Columbia

I held my breath as I laid my hand upon the white double-doors leading out of this beautiful garden preparing myself to enter Columbia proper for the first time. What was I about to get into? Once again the faces of my family back home played across my mind and strengthened my resolve. If I ever wanted to be free of this debt and see them again then I needed to buck up and focus dammit! And that's just what I did. With my resolve steeled, I pushed the doors open wide and was greeted with one of the most amazing sights I may have seen in my life. It may have even rivaled the first time I saw Hogwarts from the Black Lake.

Columbia was amazing looking in its architecture and grandness. Lines of steel spanned throughout the square and tall buildings. On those lines were crates moving around in a way that reminded me of the Gringotts' carts. Admittedly at a much slower pace than those carts ever did. I could see at a closer look than when I was in the rocket, and not coming down from a possible out of body experience, that the city seemed to be held up by massive balloons like those on zeppelins and were being moved by equally massive propellers.

I soon noticed the bottom of the steps connect with the main section of the square with mechanical interlocking teeth. I was again amazed by the technology on display in this city and once again wondered if some form of magic didn't exist here. I made my way cautiously over the teeth and looked at yet another giant statue of Comstock, this time in a heroic stance complete with a saber and cape to add to the effect. This man really was reminding me of Dumbledore with his grandstanding. It made me snort a little that maybe this man was this worlds Dumbledore. That little joking thought though made me take him more seriously considering what I'd found out about the machinations of my old headmaster. Although…he wasn't the worst from what I'd found out.

I passed several smartly dressed people; they seemed to be talking about just the simple day to day goings on, as I made my way towards the center of the square. I saw, to my amazement a building fly in and connect to another part of the square. I even passed an old timey hot dog vender along the way that caused my stomach to grumble. I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten anything and decided to take out a couple of those silver coins hoping I had enough to get a hot dog.

"How much for one of those hot dogs mate?" I stated happily hoping to not draw too much attention as a newcomer.

"No need for that friend," the vender said with a happy grin. "You just came from the welcome center right?" I gave him a nod. "That would make you new to Columbia huh? Well then this one is on the house friend. Just remember to come back soon alright and buy a couple off of me."

I gratefully took him up on his offer and pocketed the silver before taking the offered dog with a swift thank you and promised I'd come again. I left his stand munching on the dog with mustard and relish on it and walked towards the statue once more. I saw a young boy, maybe ten or eleven waving a paper in the air and made my way towards him discreetly while still looking at the statue.

"A full transcript of the prophet's address to you, the Columbian people, on the holy forgiveness of our dear Lady Comstock, our beloved mother of forgiveness," he stated in a clearly chuffed voice.

Glancing stealthily at the paper in a pile as I finished my meal the headline simply stated; 'All of Columbia Celebrates.' I wondered idly just what they could be celebrating as I made my way away from the newspaper boy and towards another couple that were admiring the statue of Comstock. Maybe today is the Lady Comstock's birthday or something. Wouldn't be the first time someone famous was remembered on their birthday. I snorted as I walked behind the couple when I heard the woman state how she thought the statue was lacking in how it presenting the father's divinity. God but people were sheep. I guess my trainer was right; 'A person can be incredibly intelligent, but people are just plain stupid.' Unfortunately, these people were starting to remind me of the sheep of magical Britain.

I heard some more people making small talk as I passed a clothing store named 'Hudson's.' I quickly realized that it was the building that I'd seen fly in and park from the welcome center. With a shrug I decided to have a look in just to peak. Hell maybe I could find a replacement for my lost hat I thought as I ran a hand though my messy hair. As I entered I heard some upbeat vaudeville music playing from an old radio and saw two blokes inside; one seated complaining about a worker, not happy about a job he was performing while the other man shined his shoes. It didn't look like the man doing the shoeshine really cared all that much about what his customer was saying to be honest. Up at the counter I saw a sign that said 'Pilgrims Welcome,' which reminded me of what the rocket had said just before it launched. I then saw something curious. A tall wooden box with a plaque on it and light coming out of a hole just under the plaque with another sign under that. The bottom plaque read 'Fink MFG.' which made me think that was the company that made this box. Then I took a closer look, adjusting my glasses, at the top plaque.

The Word of the Prophet

Presents

"Father Comstock's Gift of Prophecy"

A Columbia Kinetoscope Company Production

With a shrug I decided to look in to the lighted hole out of curiosity. I was greeted with an old black and white movie-like showing of the 'Prophet' foreseeing sunshine after a cloudy day. They can't be serious can they? Anybody could make a prediction like that and sooner or later it would come true. I can imagine Lavender Brown making a better prediction than that in her bloody sleep. I shook my head with a chuckle as I took my head away from the Kinetoscope, as it seemed to be called. With another quick glance around I noticed the shop didn't carry much in the way of hats. Well other than bowler hats anyway, but I wasn't going to start dressing up like Fudge. No thank you! I made my way outside of the shop and behind the statue heading away from the square. As I looked up at the carts passing on the lines over head a saw a large billboard on the side of a building with a picture similar to the one on that postcard that was in the box Rosalind handed me, however this one had a small silhouette of a lamb at the heart of the statue with words at the top and bottom of the poster stating; 'The Tower Protects the Lamb from the False Shepherd.' What could that mean?

I'm not sure who this lamb is although I have a pretty good idea, but who was this false shepherd? I started to get a feeling of foreboding and decided to simply let the matter drop…for now. I made my way past a nice little café that had a few people outside having a light lunch it seemed and I gave them a friendly nod in greeting which the man returned by tipping his bowler hat while his lady friend waved brightly. I made my way down the street leading away from the square and could see people going about their seemingly normal lives. Children playing in the street next to an open fire hydrant; people enjoying a meal like I saw back at the café; other people just sitting on benches enjoying the day; and even an ice wagon being pulled by a mechanized horse with lightning on it's back…Wait? What the bloody hell?! Sure enough there was a mechanical horse just standing there with an ice wagon attached to it. What kind of place was this Columbia? I started to feel like I was in one of those Doctor Who episodes that Dora and her dad loved so much. That thought just made me miss those two so much. They'd really took me in as one of their own when I came to visit after by third year at Hogwarts. I was devastated when I heard that Ted had been killed by snatchers sometime during the war with the Death Eaters. Seeing Dora's dead body in the Great Hall after the Death Eaters gave us a reprieve in the Battle of Hogwarts had nearly broken me completely. I just hope Teddy wouldn't have to go through what I had to with no parents to be there for him. At least he would have his grandmother for certain if I wasn't successful.

I shook my head not wanting to go down that road right now. I could remember my loved ones later. Right now I had a mission to accomplish, no matter how much I was starting to dread it. With one last look at the mechanized horse I made my way towards a group of people that seemed to be watching a parade of some kind.

"After the victory at Wounded Knee," I overheard a voice on some kind of speaker system. "The angel Columbia did present herself to Father Comstock and show him a vision of the future." I could see the floats literally floating through the air itself through some alleyway-like area between to sections of this part of the city. Each float told of the Prophet and his journey in paintings. "And so our Prophet led the people away from the Sodom below, up, up into the city, where they created an even more perfect union. But it was the miracle child, the lamb, that is the future of our city. For the Prophet has said that she in the tower will lead the Sodom below into righteousness."

After the parade had past the two sides of the city became connected again as two parts of a bridge sprang up and locked together once more. Unfortunately I only partly paid attention to this as what I just heard replayed in my head.

'She's in the tower,' I thought. I pulled out the postcard of Monument Island thinking back to the large sign I saw as I was leaving the square. 'Of course she's in the bloody monument you dumb arse. Where else would the damsel be held?'

I gave a low sigh and pocketed the postcard as I made my way across the bridge. However half way across I stumbled when I heard another voice in my head just as I had in the welcome center in Comstock's wife's room. This one, however, was clear and strong, obviously a man's voice and I got that damned picture of Comstock in my head.

"And then, the archangel showed a vision: a city, lighter than air. I asked her, 'Why do you show this to me, archangel? I'm not a strong man. I'm not a righteous man. I am not a holy man.' And she told me the most remarkable thing: 'You're right prophet. But if grace is within the grasp of one such as you, how can anyone else not see it in themselves?"

I steadied myself on the railing of the bridge until I could get my bearings. The voice hadn't done anything to make me stumble it was just the suddenness of it that caught me off guard. That was Comstock himself recounting what happened in his past. But why was I getting these voices in my head. Did I develop some sort of connection to people in this world when I crossed over? Was that why I had that strange dream after the baptism? Suddenly I remembered something my trainer told me just as I was leaving with the twins on the boat: "You'll learn more about that place and its people as you go through your mission. Whether you want to or not."

Could this be what he meant? Some kind of side effect to the journey through the rift? The Luteces said that there could be some side effects that would be unknown till they happened. I gave an audible sigh as I continued to make my way across the bridge and saw a sign advertising the 'Columbia Raffle and Fair.' Maybe that's what this celebration was all about? No time to be worrying about side effects to this journey since they don't seem to be that big of an issue at this moment. Looks like I just keep getting more obstacles put in my path. Nothing new there right Potter? Keep moving forward.

I made my way up some steps where I saw more people chatting about and a grocery store on my right with what appears to be a florist shop flying in on the left to connect to this section. That whole building flying in is going to take some getting used to I'd wager. However, on the side of a building just in front of me I see another large billboard, only this time with a grim reaper, the representation of death, leading a young lamb away from the angelic statue from before. 'The False Shepherd Seeks Only to Lead Our Lamb Astray.'

This false shepherd warning again huh? I'm starting to get an uneasy feeling that it's referring to me. Hopefully that's just the paranoia talking. As I make my way past the billboard I see another of those Kinetoscopes with the title of 'Beware the False Shepherd!' It doesn't take a genius to figure out what that one is about, but I decide to take a page out of Hermione's book and gain some knowledge about something that may be important in the future. Sure enough it's a propaganda piece trying to sow dissidence amongst the people to keep them vigilant for this false shepherd bloke. Shepherd indeed. Fittingly appropriate since sheep seem to live up here. I'd no more finished that thought when I was hit by that same voice from the bridge.

"One man goes into the waters of baptism," the voice of Comstock started. "A different man comes out, born again. But who is that man who lies submerged? Perhaps that swimmer is both sinner and saint, until he is revealed unto the eyes of man."

Not really sure what to think of this one. Maybe just an insight into the man that is Comstock. With a shrug I make my way away from the billboard once again and stop to listen to a singing quartet sing 'God only knows.' Honestly I have to admit it's a beautiful song and they are great singers from what I can tell as I lean against a lamp post to listen for a pip. I even see a couple dancing in front of the flying ship that they are singing from. Okay maybe sheep was a little harsh. Some people up here are just trying to live their lives and I could honestly respect that.

After a short time, I push off from the post and begin making my way forwards to continue my journey. I pass a couple who seem to be having an argument and make my way towards a large archway leading up. Through the archway I can see the massive obelisk of Monument Island in the distance surveying the city like some guardian angel. I snort at the thought since that's most likely why it was made that way.

"So that's where they're keeping her huh?" I thought out loud. I'm doing that a lot these days aren't I? I sigh to myself. Maybe I have gone mad and this is all some dream I'm having while still in that cell in the Goblin Nation. With my luck I wouldn't be all that shocked.

"Telegraph Mister Potter," a voice shocked me out of my depressing thoughts. I looked down to see a young boy with a yellow telegram for me. "Telegram for you sir!" I took it from the boy and handed him two silver pieces and thanked him. "Wow! Thanks Mister Potter!" he said with a wide grin and skipped off. I smiled at the boy and looked at the telegram.

Potter STOP

Do not alert Comstock to your presence STOP

Whatever you do, do not pick number 7 STOP

Lutece

Huh? Well that's worrisome. I made my way up to the railing and leaned forward looking back up at Monument Island. How was I going to get there? Looking to my left I saw a telescope pointed towards the monument and decided to see if I could get a better look. When I looked through the telescope I realized that while I could see it better it didn't really help answer my dilemma. However what did shock me was what, or rather who I saw when I looked down. The Lutece twins were right there with Robert juggling and Rosalind watching him.

"Oi!" I started as I wrenched my head away from the telescope and looked where I'd seen them only to see no one there. In confusion I looked back through the telescope and didn't see them there either. What the bloody hell? I quickly made my way around the guardrails to where I'd seen them, passing a few concerned patrons as I hurried passed them like some maniac after my shout. Nice and subtle Potter.

"Good day sir," a man on a bench startled me as I past him on my way around.

"H-hello there," I stuttered in confusion as I kept moving around trying to not be rude.

I ran full tilt up to where they'd been only for there to literally be no sign of them what so ever. Have I finally cracked? Maybe this is a dream. I gave myself an extra hard pinch and grimaced from it. Nope diffidently real. I backed away from the place I'd seen them daring them to show themselves. I was starting to feel like I'd just had a prank played on me and I wasn't too happy about it. I turned and made my way back towards where I'd come from and noticed a carnival of sorts ahead of me. This must being the fairgrounds.

As I made my way towards some large steps I noticed some old, carnival-style posters that took my mind off the Lutece twins. Vigors? What could those be? Murder of Crows? Bucking Bronco? Shock Jockey? Devil's Kiss? Those are some odd names for drinks.

I heard a man yelling from up the stairs and I quickly made my way up. I came to a stop as a large crowd was hanging around a man on a large podium barking out a speech about vigors and two men in devil outfits were down under him and they were…were…performing magic?! No. This was impossible. They'd told me that magic didn't exist here. But sure enough they were doing it.

"If I told you a man could shoot lightning from his fingers now, would you believe me?" the barky began. "If I told you a man could hoist a one ton stallion straight into the air, would you believe me? Well friends, I am here today to tell those are not flights of fancy! Those are no tall tales told behind the pool hall! No sir! No ma'am! Those are Vigors I'm talkin' about brought to you courtesy of Mr. Jeremiah Fink himself!"

I tuned out the rest of what the man was saying as I watch the two 'devils' conjure lighting and fireballs from their hands; one used his powers to lift the other with no effort from ten feet away; and even seemed to possess the other. This was magic. There was no doubt in my mind about what I was seeing being preformed right in front of my very eyes. Maybe…maybe I could get my magic back someway. Through these potions called Vigors. That's the only thing I could think to call them. Potions that could actually grant magic to people without magic. I had to get my hands on some just to make sure I wasn't wrong about them. I didn't see any samples, but then I realized I was at a fair. Those places usually had samples for people to try. With a crooked, hopeful grin I made my way into the crowd and the heart of the fair.

I didn't have to move into the fair far before I saw a booth for a vigor called Bucking Bronco. I saw the keeper of the stand barking at the people around him looking with curiousity at his booth.

"Young sir! Young miss!" he started with a flourish. "Roll up and try the amazing power of Bucking Bronco! Whether you need it lifted, lofted, tossed or tumbled, Bucking Bronco is just the ticket!"

"You sir?" he stated surprising me as I looked to see him pointing at me. "Care to give it a go? It's just a sample so it won't be permanent."

That last part saddened me a tad, but this would give me a good opportunity to test out these vigors.

"Sure mate," I stated. "I'll take a crack at it." The gathered crowd clapped and gave me a bit of a cheer. I guess they wanted to see a show.

I took a drain on the bottle and felt a tingling sensation pass through me though it felt dulled slightly it felt like my magic was back. I gave a grin and watched as a curtain slides away to reveal an old room with furniture around and a man dressed as a devil hiding behind a chair. With a gesture of my left hand I felt the familiar power surge forward from my hand and heard the sound of a wild horse naying. As that was happening I focused on the results of my actions and saw rock and concrete kick up on a straight trail leading towards the man and to my joy he was picked up by a force as if gravity itself was reversed for him. I was able to do this two more times before the effects wore off, much to my annoyance. However I did get a pouch of silver as a prize for helping in the demonstration so it wasn't a total loss.

I pocketed the coins as I made my way away from the booth deep in thought. No doubt about it now. That was most definitely magic. Different but still the same. I looked at my left hand as I could still lightly feel the tingling sensation still there. Looking around the fair I noticed some other carnival games that people were playing two shooting galleries and even an old mallet strength tester. I also saw some more display booths. One was even for those mechanical horses like I saw earlier. Apparently they are called Easter Automated Stallions.

Moving past a stage with a band playing I saw something that disturbed me a little bit. A Handyman it was called. It looked like an elderly gentleman in a massive robotic body that wasn't too happy about getting his picture taken. I saw a man standing next to him dressed like the man that'd been advertising vigors when I'd first walked up to the gates for the fair.

"Come on down and see the amazing Handyman!" he stated loudly. "Is he man? Is he machine? Only Columbian ingenuity could create such an amazing marvel!"

I felt sad when I looked at this Handyman. He seemed confused and scared about where he was. I wish I could help him, but if I did it would only bring undue attention onto myself and that was the last thing I needed. With a sad glance back towards the spectacle I made my way towards some large gates leading out of the fair. On my way I noticed one last booth just before the gate. A poster on the side of the booth of a woman riding one of those stallions. 'Possession! Any stallion can be tamed!"

Another vigor booth huh? I made my way towards it out of curiosity. Surely it would be the same as the first booth and only be another sample right?

"Dear friend!" the lovely young lady with dazzling green eyes stated in a sultry, alluring voice as I made my way up to her booth. Her eyes actually reminded me of my mom a little and her brown hair was tied back in a bun. She was dressed in a puffy silk blouse that was off the shoulder with a lacey chocker and a long white and red pinstripe skirt. "Have you ever lost a penny to a vending machine? Has a pay telephone ever refused to connect you with a beloved spouse? Well! It's time to take back control from the men of metal! With Possession you are the master! You will bend any machine to your will!"

"How much for one of those?" I asked simply.

"My but you're a yummy one aren't you dear?" she stated and I could feel myself blushing as she sauntered up to me with a sway in her hips. "No charge for a hunk like you sir. With just a whisper, they're all ears."

I gave her a wary eye as I looked at the green bottle with a woman's image laying on top of it. With a gulp I uncorked the heart shaped stopper and looked at the woman who was now batting her eyelashes flirtatiously at me. Bottoms up Potter. I took a pull and chugged the liquid down. It tasted as sweet as honey and I felt a charge rush through my whole body like something trying to get loose from its chains. My vision blurred and a saw the woman move her hands in the shape of a heart, but I could see her fingers glowing emerald leaving a trail behind. She blew me a kiss and she suddenly took on a ghostly green glow. I could even see her skeleton for a second as she gave a sultry giggle. Only a second later did my vision clear up.

"That was different," I stated.

"You look like you could use some rest sir," the temptress stated as she trailed her fingers over my chest. "I know a good place."

"Maybe later ma'am," I stuttered. This woman really was being too forward. I was just now starting question if I didn't jump into things head first again without thinking. Boy would I be hearing about it if I did. Hermione used to be bad, but Andy makes her seem like a lecture form Professor Sprout.

"Such a shame," she said with a pout. "I'll hold you to it though." She moved away with a sway in her hips that I had a hard time keeping my eyes from lingering on. Eyes front Potter! Okay that wasn't my mind at all. Sounded like a female in my head…I really hope there are no side effects to this shite. However, oddly enough I felt whole. Like something I'd been missing suddenly wasn't anymore. I shrugged and chalked it up to having access to my magic again. However minor it might be.

I made my way towards the big brass gate and stopped when I saw this weird automated contraption. I thought I'd seen something similar in the fair, but I didn't really give it much of a look. The base was like that of an old mail box with red, white, and blue coloring with gold trim. However what was really amazing was its top half which looked like a mechanical man with a straw raffle hat and matching suit.

As I walked up to it, it surprised me when it spoke to me.

"Sorry pal. The raffle is all sold out!" it stated in a clearly human, but sill stilted robotic voice. Once again I was admiring the technology in this city. However this did pose a problem. How was I to get through? I'm sure this was the way I needed to go to get closer to the girl. Sudden what the flirtatious woman said a few seconds ago sank in. Take back control from the men of metal huh? Alright might as well give her a shot.

I focused on my magic that I could still feel within my body and was surprised when in stirred. Not like it used to before I came to this world though. It was stronger, denser even. Where before it felt like a stream of steady water it now felt like a large river. More importantly I could feel it react to my commands again. I couldn't help the feral grin that passed my lips. Now this I could work with.

I glanced down at my hands and saw them take on that same ghostly green glow I'd just seen and I gestured towards the mechanical ticket taker with a flick of a wrist. I focused like I would if I were using the Imperius Curse. Sending my desire for the machine to bend to my will and let me pass. A saw a ghostly green female apparition fly from my hand towards the machine and hit it dead on.

"Well, if it isn't Assemblyman Buford!" the mechanical man stated excitedly. "Your spot at the raffle awaits." I nodded and made my way past him as I focused on the female apparition floating around it. Oddly enough it reminded me of someone, but I couldn't put my finger on who.

"Heads?" I heard a familiar voice start in front of me and I whipped my head around so fast I thought I'd get whiplash. And sure enough there they were.

"Or tails," stated Rosalind Lutece who was holding a porcelain platter while Robert stood next to her with a chalkboard around his neck that had Heads and Tails written on it with a line down the middle.

"What the bloody hell are you two doing here?" I ground out through my teeth. I now knew beyond a doubt that was them I'd seen earlier. Of course now that just brought me more damn questions. If they could literally pop around like this, why did they need me?

"Not a very warm welcome Mr. Potter," Rosalind sniffed haughtily. Like I'd somehow offended her.

"If you two could just go willy nilly from this place then why did you need me to come here in the first place," I demanded quietly, my earlier happiness of regaining my magic fully gone now.

"Because this is your debt Mr. Potter," Robert stated simply. "You're the one who needs to square your debt with us. However, if you truly wish we could easily hand it back over to the goblins. I'm sure they would be most interested in that."

That little threat brought me up short. I'd be back in the tender care of the nation if they wanted to and that was the last thing I wanted. Death would be too good to hope for at that point. So I bit my lip about the issue.

"Fine!" I bit out harshly. "Then let me pass so I can deal with this damn debt and get back home."

"Thank you Mr. Potter," Rosalind replied. "But you didn't answer our question. Heads?"

"Or tails?" Robert finished tossing me a silver eagle coin.

I snatched the coin from midair and flipped it harshly. "Tails!" I snarled. I was done with these damn exercises they always talked about. We watched the coin flip and clatter onto the platter with the tails facing up. Hah! Tails never fails!

"Well I'll be," muttered Robert in astonishment as we all looked down at the coin. I could've sworn I saw a happy little grin cross Rosalind's face before it vanished like it was never there.

"Variables dear brother," she stated as they parted for me to pass through which I did. I glared back at them when my eyes caught the back of Robert. The chalkboard around his neck had another side the same as the first with one big difference. The side with heads was completely filled in.


	4. Chapter 4

~O0o-(A Wizard in the Clouds)-o0O~

Harry Potter X Bioshock Infinite

Chapter 4

1912

Columbia

Shaking my head I continued past the terrible twins at the gate. How could it have been that many heads in a row? That doesn't seem possible. I shook my head sharply. No reason to focus on them right now since it would only annoy me even more than I already was. Honestly that would be a pretty impressive achievement right now.

I passed two little girls playing hopscotch and couldn't help a small smile play across my lips as I let my anger at the twins leave me. I felt the need to apologize to the twins since I had been unnaturally rude. Unfortunately, that feeling of sympathy left me as soon as I turned around to where they'd been only to not see them; like they'd just vanished into thin air…again. I really was starting to think those two were magical in some way.

As I made my way down the walkway, I noticed another billboard poster with a bird-like silhouette. 'Sing praise to the Songbird for he is the protector of the Lamb.' And just like that I'm no longer worried about the twins. Was I going to have to fight that thing? Hopefully it wouldn't come to that, or that it was as big as the billboard made it out to be. I felt a chill streak up my spine at the thought. I don't feel so good about either of those prospects.

As I walk down the way I over hear a small group of people talking about Lady Comstock. I slow down to give a quick listen. Can never know too much about this place after all. Hermione would be so proud.

"Oh, that poor woman," started the woman with the two men. "The things she suffered." Suffered? I wonder what happened to her. I was starting to realize that I don't really know all that much about the Comstock family.

"Suffering don't make you holy," one of the men snarked.

"Well, it certainly doesn't hurt," rebuked the woman harshly.

I shook my head as I continued on my way since I obvious wasn't going to get much from this group since they'd devolved into arguing with each other. As I walked, I passed two officers that were having their own conversation.

"When did you get that?" the first officer stated as his partner showed off some type of gauntlet with a spinning hook. I leaned over the railing looking out at the floating city while I listened in.

"This little beauty?" the second officer proudly asked. "The whole division got them. If we're going to flush the Vox out of the skyline system we gotta have the best."

"They got any openings in the group?" the first officer responded with some venom in his words. "I'd love to bust some Vox skull."

Hmm? Intersting. The skyline system must be those railway systems I've seen throughout the city with the crates on them. I wonder how a gauntlet like that would allow someone to travel on one of those. I noticed that the two officers had moved on themselves on in their patrol and decided to let the matter drop for now.

Making my way down some stairs I noticed a large statue that wasn't Comstock, shocking I know. But it was of a well dressed man holding a floating model city almost like a butler which was wonky. However what really surprised me was that the statue was of Robert Lutece. I made my way over to it when something really strange happened. The statue shimmered wildly with a strange tearing noise and slowly shifted into a statue of his sister, Rosalind. I was left gobsmacked and slack jawed as I stared at the new statue.

Walking as fast as I could towards the statue I passed some children playing in front of the statue; however they didn't even act like anything out of the ordinary had just happened right in front of them. I saw a bench with a strange bird-like stuffed animal on it with a rose in its small clawed hand, and a chocolate bar next to it. Oddly the stuffed animal looked like the silhouette on the billboard I'd passed recently with the Songbird on it. Putting that to the side for now, since it wasn't as important to figuring out what I'd just seen, I read the name plate at the feet of the statue.

R. Lutece

Gave Columbia

Her Wings

"Madame Lutece," I grimaced as I heard a little girl's voice in my head and looked up at the statue. "I have read all your books on the sciences. Mama says, 'It's not a fit occupation for a lady,' but I think she's jealous of our cleverness." I gave a little snort. "Is it true that only you are allowed the visit the girl in the tower?" That drew a glare from me towards the statue as I again wanted to know why I was needed if Rosaland was that close to the girl. "If the Lamb is lonely too, I should like to meet her, as we would have much in common. Warmest regards, Constance." Unfortunately little Constance, I highly doubt you would know what it's like to be kept locked away somewhere. I turned with a growl as I made my way from the statue and just barely passed the children playing when I stopped with a thought.

"Oi lads," I said loud enough that the three boys would hear me over the celebration music that got louder the closer I got to the raffle area. The three boys stopped their playing and looked at me questioningly. "Did any of you see that statue there change just a bit ago?" I asked pointing the Rosalind's statue.

"What are you talking about mister?" one of the boys asked with a confused tilt of his head.

I gave a sigh and nodded to myself; another question for me to add to my growing collection. "Nevermind," I stated jovially as I could and raised my hand lazily. "You lads have fun." Suddenly I saw all three of them freeze and pale as they looked at me, or more accurately my raised right hand. The one closest to me took a fearful step back and took off like a ghost was after him followed by the other two.

"It's him! Run!" I heard one of them yell as they ran off.

I stood in confusion as I watched them take off wondering what had set them off like that. Nobody else had acted like that. As I turned forward my query was given an answer and I really wished I hadn't gotten it. Their in front of me was another billboard poster with a demonic clawed hand with the initials AD glowing on the back of it. 'You shall know the False Shepherd by his mark.' I paled and looked down at the back of my right hand and sure enough there were the same initials that I'd noticed at the lighthouse, but had completely forgotten about. How the bloody hell had nobody else noticed that?!

I felt panic start to set in like the presence of a Dementor. I was in a floating city full of cult worshipers to save a girl they believed to be their chosen one and on top of that I was branded with a mark that would identify me to the whole bloody populous as their own personal Tom Riddle. Just bloody fucking brilliant! Calm it down Potter! Just calm down. I took a deep shaky breath. Just need to keep a little more low profile. That's all.

I walked slowly passed the cursed billboard sending it a furious glare as if it was somehow the thing at fault. Real mature Potter, but it did make me feel a tad better. I glanced around as I came up to another round of steps leading to what I can assume was this raffle everyone seemed to be interested in. To my right I stopped and stared at large balloon figures of the three founders tied to one of the floating buildings. I shook my head again and turned to make my way up the steps. I saw a large poster of a man like the one who was advertising the vigors as I entered the fair. 'Jeremiah Fink wants you to attend the July 6th Raffle.' To emphasize the point the picture of the man was pointing towards me. I snorted at the idea. Good luck with that mate. I won't be going through that raffle if I could help it.

I saw more of those skylines the officers were talking about with the crates passing on them before I noticed the large looming obelisk of Monument Island seemingly overhead. I hadn't realized I was getting that close to my destination. Maybe I'll be able to get there faster than I thought. Hey it's not a sin to be hopeful. I laughed at my own little joke.

I made my way in front of the entrance to the raffle intent on going around till I stopped suddenly as my eyes fell upon two more officers behind a barricade blocking the only other exit. Shite! Why me? Why did I have to have some hope? You know that never leads to anything good Harry. I gave a sigh and looked back to were the line for the raffle was. Only option now huh? Maybe I can just walk through with nobody taking an interest in me. I gave a suffering sigh as I realized I was hoping yet again. I may need to see a healer about that.

With another glance towards the barricade I turned and made my way back towards the entrance. I noticed a line of people grabbing, what looked like, balls of some sort out of a basket. Wonder what that's all about? No matter focus Potter.

I passed a large marble water fountain on my way to a large, double gate. When I looked up I could still see the monument above me to know I was more or less heading in the right direction; however when I looked down from the top of some more steps I found myself pausing with a gulp. That is a lot of bloody people.

Down below me stood a large gathering of people in front of an extravagant stage with a man dressed like that Fink bloke leading them in the song I'd been hearing since I got close enough. Looking around I saw some more steps leading back up so I knew where I needed to go at least. Now to make it through the raffle.

I took leisurely steps so I wouldn't draw as much attention as I could and kept my head on the lookout for anything that would stop me from making it through the crowd. It wasn't too busy, but there was only a small area to squeeze through as well. I was just about at the center when I heard the man on stage start to speak.

"And now the 1912 Raffle has officially begun!" he stated with excitement. The crowd clapped happily.

"I can't believe Fink really showed up for this," stated some man I walked in front of to his female companion. This brought me up short. I could see the steps leading to the exit, but now I had something tickling my curiosity. Here was the man who came up with the Vigors right in front of me. I could ask him some discrete questions if I got the chance right? Maybe find out how he made them? That opportunity was too much for me to pass up. Plus I could keep a low profile and not stick out right? Right.

I made my way into the crowd at the front of the stage keeping my hands firmly in my pockets. Unfortunately, someone saw me and made their way towards me from the front of the stage with a basket around their neck. It was a woman similar in dress and in some ways looks to the flirtatious woman who'd given me the Possession Vigor back at the fair. Only real difference was that she looked a tad younger than the other; with strawberry blonde hair and hazel eyes.

"Hey, mister!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Sorry ma'am I'm not interest," I tried to dissuade her gently.

"No silly," she said keeping her chipper attitude. "There's never a charge for the raffle. You been sleeping under a rock?"

"I'm just not interested ma'am sorry," I tried again. Hopefully she'd just let the matter drop.

"Oh come on," she said with a pout. "Just take a chance. You might get lucky."

I was about to decline again when I noticed a few people eying me oddly. Great. People are starting to notice that I'm not excited about the raffle; which would set off alarm bells for most of these people since this was such a big event. I gave a sigh and consciously reached with my left hand keeping my right firmly in my pocket. I pulled back what I could now tell was a baseball with a red number on it. The number was 7. Why did I just get a chill up my spine?

"Number 7 huh?" asked the lady happily. "That's an incredibly lucky number since that is also the date of our Lady Comstock's birth. Maybe she's smiling on you sir."

As she walked away I couldn't stop staring at the ball in my hand or more accurately that damned number. Whatever you do, don't pick number 7. The telegram the Lutece's sent me. Shite. Lady Comstock smiling on me my arse!

"Bring me the bowl!" Fink yelled shocking me out of my focus. I looked up to realize the people of the raffle had closed in on me. I couldn't get out unless I pushed my way through and that would only draw more attention my way. "Is that not the prettiest young white girl in all of Columbia?" Fink stated with a laugh at the end.

That…was an odd statement. Why would he point that out? Oddly I was remembering some of the lessons from my training when my trainer taught me of the race relations were back in this time in American history. If I was going some it up in one word it would be…tense. Way to understate the obvious Potter. I gave pause as that last thought wasn't mine. I didn't have time to question that however.

I woman dressed like the raffle girl with blonde hair tied in a tight bun sauntered out to the wolf-whistles of the men in the crowd carrying a red, white, and blue bowl. I watched with hope as Fink reached in for a number.

"Alright then," he stated dramatically. "And the winner is…lucky number seven!"

My hopes went out like a wet blanket; soggy and useless. Wait. I'd just ignore it. It's not likely they'd go through checking everyone's lots. I could just slip out when people tried to claim the prize for themselves. Or better yet just drop the ball to the ground and let the crowd fight over it.

"Over here!" I heard a voice that made me groan in annoyance and anger. I looked over my shoulder to see the raffle girl who'd gave me the damned thing making her way through the crowd right to my side and hold my hand up. "Over here! He's the winner!"

I was about the curse at her when Fink looked directly at me. The girl let go of my arm as he saw the number on the ball and gave a happy grin and whoop.

"Number seven," Fink yelled in excitement and raised his hands before motioning dramatically towards the curtain that was drawing back as he spoke. "Come and claim your prize."

"First throw," Fink said as his voice changed from excited to down right menacing. I noticed some props on stage that were made to look like tall grass move out of the way, along with some large props that looked like caricatured monkeys at a wedding. However what made my blood stop cold was the tied up couple that were being moved in front of the crowd. I could hear that chants of 'first throw' fade into background noise. The man was blonde with a ragged looking tuxedo jacket on with bruises on his bare chest and ripped slacks; poor bloke looked like his face had been messed up pretty good too. The woman tied next to him was in a similar state although she was only dressed in an old potato sack that contrasted terribly with her dark skin. I could hear them both pleading for mercy to the crowd which fell on deaf ears. I felt my rage rise like nothing I'd ever felt before as I glared at Fink who was riling up the crowd.

"Come on, are you going to throw it, or are you taking your coffee black these days," Fink stated jovially with a laugh. I felt something snap in the back of my head as I saw red. I reared my arm back with the ball in hand fully intent on putting it right through Finks head. Unfortunately, I had half a second to realize I'd subconsciously switched the ball to my right hand when my arm was grabbed stopping in from the throw. I glared to my side to see an officer had caught my arm on the backswing. I soon felt another slip up to my other side and roughly grab my other arm.

"This is him," the first officer stated. "He matches the description the kids gave us." They forcefully brought my hand down as I turned my glare back towards Fink.

"Now," Fink stated with shock and some contempt as he walked to the edge of the stage. He must have realized I wasn't aiming for the couple on stage. "Where'd you get that brand boy?" He was now matching my glare with one of his own. "Don't you know that makes you the back-stabbin', snake-in-the-grass False Shepherd?"

The crowd started to rabble around hearing Fink call me the False Shepherd.

"And we ain't lettin' no False Shepherd into our flock," he stated out to the crowd that started to curse at me. However my eyes and attention was only locked on the couple currently being pulled back into the shadows looking at me with grateful eyes. My glare went back to Fink. "Show him what we got planned boys!"

The dark-haired officer on my left brought up that hooked gauntlet I'd seen them talking about earlier and started it up. It started to spin in front of my face and time seemed to slow down as I did what I always do when things go completely bedlam. Let instinct guide me. Unfortunately for the officers that were restraining me, I'd gone through not only a year of firearms and history lessons, but also physical combat designed for my survival not theirs.

I tossed the ball up between the three of us and saw the officer holding my right side follow it with his eyes and loosen his grip. That was all the window I needed as I shoved the other man's arm, the one with the spinning hook of death on it right into his partner's exposed throat. I felt the spray of blood hit my face as my right hand came up with a haymaker arch aimed right at the man's Adam's apple with the hard bone of my wrist. I felt it crush beneath my strike as he stumbled back clutching at his destroyed throat. I was vaguely aware of the rest of the crowd as I moved at lightning speed ripping the gauntlet out of the first officer's throat with my left hand.

I caught movement out of the corner of my eye as another officer rushed out of the panicked crowd with a Billy club. He swung it at me from above, but I'd rushed closing the distance making his elbow hyper extended on my shoulder forcing him to drop his weapon with a cry of pain. Turning with the momentum I grabbed my assailant's head with my right arm and threw him harshly to the ground where he cradled his broken arm.

I soon heard whistles heading my way and ran up the steps I'd been making my way towards earlier. I turned to face two more officers with billy clubs coming at me. Using my practiced footwork I split them backhanding one with my newly acquired gauntlet tearing a chunk out of his face and using the momentum to get behind the other. He was more cautious than his partner and squared off with me instead of rushing at me like the other's had. Unfortunately for me, this gave his back up time to get there. Another problem I noticed quickly was that his backup had a pistol. Thinking quickly I shot at the one in front of me with a shell around my head using my arms to deflect his strike with the club. I did this in the hopes that his partner wouldn't shoot his friend. Luckily, my gamble had been right as he hesitated giving me a chance to thrust a kick up at my primary target launching him into his partner and giving me the opening to hit the pistol wielding officer hard enough to knock him out while his partner rolled on the ground clutching his chest and gasping for air.

Moving quickly I grabbed the pistol off the ground which luckily was the same type of gun Rosalind had given me on the boat. I holstered the pistol and searched the downed officer for extra ammunition before casing the area for more enemies. Unfortunately, while I didn't see anymore enemies I did notice that the bridge to Monument Island was down. I'd have to find another way to it. Bully for me.

I quickly made my way to what I believed was the only exit not closed. It let to a little alley way behind the stage with boxes, props, and two cages with monkey heads on them. I growled deep in my throat knowing what they'd been used for. How could people do this? Keep other people in cages for something as stupid as race. I know it was part of the times, but it just baffles me. Luckily or unluckily they were empty so maybe they'd been able to get away. I guess I could hope, although my hope wasn't all that good today.

I saw a gangplank going up on to some type of sky ship and walked towards it, but stopped when I heard yelling coming from above me. I drew my pistol not a moment too soon as two more officers came down from the skyline at me with guns drawn. Bringing up my pistol like I'd been taught I fired at the same time as the first officer. Luckily for me his aim was high and the bullet missed, unfortunately he wasn't so lucky as my two shots hit center of mass right in his chest. His partner hesitated a half second allowing me a chance to take him in the shoulder twice disabling his shot and sending him to the ground clutching at his wound. I sprinted past him up the plank only to throw myself behind some crates for cover when a hail of bullets was launched at me. Peaking around the corner carefully I saw what looked like an automated turret gun with a robotic top half firing it. It must have a sensor on it to detect hostiles. I could hear more whistles coming from behind the turret so I was about the have a lot of company. Think Potter, think. I looked down and saw my left hand glow a ghostly green and remembered about my Possession Vigor. Bend any machine to your will huh? Why not?

I flicked my left hand at the turret and sure enough the green, ghostly female figure burst from my hand and raced toward the turret before it infused with it. It glowed green before turning and raining down bullets at the officers below the bow. Moving up along side it I hoped down to the stone below and made my way past the bodies as the turret took out stragglers. I noticed I was at the entrance to the raffle and sprinted down towards the barricade I'd seen before entering not really worried about raising suspicion now. I flung myself behind one of the step guards when I saw another turret start to fire at me and about four more officers coming in from the exit gate. I quickly flung another specter towards the turret to give the officers some crossfire to deal with.

I heard an explosion and looked out in time to see the turret had been destroyed by the officers. I guess they were a little bit better prepared than the others had been. Luckily the turret had left only one that wasn't too injured or dead; and when he turned towards my location I'd already made it to him and smashed the skyhook across his jaw knocking him out cold. I noticed a tall, blue locker next to the gate and looking inside grabbed two more clips of pistol ammunition. I warily looked around the corner and made my way down the street. I saw several civilians rush down the street away from me in fright as two more officers fired at me from behind a produce stand.

I ducked behind an abandoned hot dog stand and heard one of the officers tell his partner to call for the 'Fireman'; and couldn't help wondering what they would need to call the firemen for. I shook that thought and got one of the officers in the leg that he'd not gotten behind the stand. This dropped him and when his partner looked towards him it gave me the chance to hit him in the stomach. I felt bad as I moved past the stand as they lay there in pain, but I needed to keep going towards the next gate.

As I got to the gate I could feel a shift in the temperature as it suddenly got hotter. I pushed open the gate and noticed a lone man in an odd suit standing on some type of platform. Unfortunately before I had a chance to really notice much around him, he suddenly exploded in flames. I think I may have found the Fireman.

Any other thoughts were scrapped as I had to move when he started lobbing balls of fire at me. When one landed just to my right I quickly noticed that it wasn't really a fireball, but more like a lavaball. Luckily my survival instincts kicked in and I was able to jump away from it just before it exploded sending globs of fire everywhere. I took a couple of shots at him; however they just bounced off with metallic clangs echoing. Did he have armor on? This was bad.

I made a brake for my left and another abandoned stand while I kept my eyes locked on this enemy to see if I could spot a weak spot in his armor. He kept lobbing those bombs at me as I made pot shots at different body parts till I finally hit something that made him slow down: his stomach. Taking my pistol I started to unload into his stomach as he made a last ditch dash towards me with his fire getting hotter till I rolled behind another stand only to hear another explosion bigger than the first one he'd released when I'd arrived. I paused for a few seconds till I noticed I couldn't hear his metallic stomps anymore, only the crackling of fire. Looking around my now flaming cover with some satisfaction and sadness that he laid there burned to an unrecognizable degree. His suit must have exploded. Maybe I hit a line on one of those tanks on his back.

I knew I couldn't stay long and started to make my way down the street after holstering my pistol. I was just passing the platform he'd been on, which was of course on fire, when I noticed dozens of red bottles scattered around. Curious I picked one up that still had the top on it. Devils Kiss. Another vigor huh? I glanced back at what remand of my fallen foe and saluted him with the bottle.

"I'll take this as my reward for beating you," I said solemnly. "I'm sorry it couldn't have ended another way. For all of you." I twisted the devil woman's head off the bottle and chugged it down.

Unfortunately, it was nothing like the Possession vigor. It tasted like straight hot sauce from the hottest pepper in existence and I felt like my body explode in flames and when I looked down at my hands I could see fire eating away at my skin from the inside; I could even see the bones of my hands. I started to scream as the fire became unbearable. Then in the next instant the burning suddenly vanished and my hands were back to normal. I was taking in gulps of air as I stared at my hands. What the bloody hell was that?

After taking a few seconds to compose myself I looked at my hands and focused on my magic and the burning sensation then an orb of fire conjured in my hand. With a smirk I let it fade out and continued past the flames. At the bend of the street I saw a large gate at the entrance for the Columbia Gondola to Monument Island and made my way towards it at a faster pace. I saw another police barricade in the street as I made my way up to it and caught something out of the corner of my eye. Another of those damn automated turrets. As it prepared to fire at me, my instincts kicked in and I conjured another fireball and shot it with practiced aim right at it. It hit the automation in the chest area before detonating and blowing the thing up. I felt good before I heard the whistles coming from the opposite side of the street where there were four officers were running towards me.

Again I was caught in a fire fight, but this time I had some real fire power. I reached for my sidearm with my right hand while my left hand went to work lobbing a fire ball into the center of the officers like a grenade. By the time I'd brought my pistol to bear on my targets their was only one left still alive from the explosion and he wasn't looking so good. When he raised his gun in his uninjured arm I fired putting him down for good. I gave a weary sigh as I moved past them. I'd killed and injured so many people today, people just trying to do their jobs. Am I losing my humanity?

'No Harry,' was whispered in my head as I felt a comforting warmth circle my entire being. 'You haven't lost it until you stop questioning it.'

I'm not sure where that whisper came from, but it helped take away my doubts for now. I looked towards the gates and seeing Monument Island so close I looked toward a window with a sign on it: Sorry. We're closed.

Of course it was. Not going to make it that easy huh? I let out a frustrated breath and looked to my left to see some steps leading up to what looked like a restaurant called 'The Blue Ribbon.' It was grand in scale with a pig motif. Unfortunately, it seemed to be the only way forward and I wasn't about to go back the way I came. So I moved towards the doors and pushed them open.

The inside was very fancy with an upscale feel to it. A menu was situated after opening the doors for the patron to see easily enough. Up on the wall greeting the patron was a picture of Comstock with writing under it: The Rise of Columbia. Under that banner was three Kinetoscopes as well with different titles on each of them. With a sigh and shrug I looked into each of them. The first was a celebration of the opening day of Columbia. The second was about Comstock fighting enemies and getting attacked by the media for it; I could honestly feel a little bit for him in that regard. Meanwhile, the final one depicting Columbia seceding from the union. Nothing major, but still interesting things to know.

"I told you Comstock." Here we go again with the voices. Although this one I recognized without much thought: Fink. The same man that'd just attempted to have me killed at the raffle. "You sell'em paradise, and the customers expect cherubs for every chore! 'No menials in God's kingdom!' Well, I've got a man in Georgia who'll lease us as many Negro convicts as you can board! Why, you can say they're simple souls, in penance for rising above their station. Whatever eases your conscience, I suppose."

Clean off. I'm taking that bugger's head clean off the next time I see him. I know that times were different, but men like him have got to go. I could feel my knuckles popping as I flexed them feeling the flames blaze around my fist as I moved into the bar area.

"We have company," I heard a man's voice and couldn't help but chuckle. Of course they'd be here.

"We do indeed," I looked up at the female response and sure enough there they were.


	5. Chapter 5

~O0o-(A Wizard in the Clouds)-o0O~

Harry Potter X Bioshock Infinite

Chapter 5

1912

Columbia

I walked away from the Kinetoscopes at the entrance and into a room that reminded me a bit of an old-time pub or smoking room. Five good-sized, round tables were scattered around the room and looked to have been left in a hurry. There was a pair of double doors directly across from the entryway I was standing at. As I looked around the room I also noticed the spacious bar area with one lone patron past out on said bar. I noticed Robert standing behind the bar wiping it down like he was the barman; meanwhile Rosalind stood at what I could only assume was the exit point to the kitchen. With a shake of my head I walked forward past the threshold towards the bar.

"I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised to find you two here," I stated casually as I sat down a few chairs away from the past out man. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you two were following me."

"Well Mister Potter," started Rosalind. "We were already here."

"So the more relevant question would be: Why are you following us?" finished Robert.

I gave a little smirk at their byplay before looking over at the past out man. Unfortunately it was then that I noticed a pistol on that counter with his hand laying limply across it. It was also at this time I noticed a very worrying fact. He wasn't breathing.

"Is he?" I left the question unfinished as Robert nodded solemnly to me. I gave out a sigh at another death on this mission. At least I could feel good knowing I hadn't been the one to do the deed itself at least. "I'm guessing that it was the same situation as the lighthouse then? No option?"

I noticed both siblings look at me funny for a bit till Robert seemed to get what I was referencing.

"I'm afraid so. He wasn't the nicest fellow if that helps," he said solemnly. At least they seemed to feel bad about having the kill the man.

"You wouldn't happen to have a bottle of Firewhiskey around here?" I asked not really thinking they'd even know what I was talking about. I was however surprised when Robert reached under the counter and brought out a bottle of Ogden's finest with a glass. He poured me two fingers of the whiskey and slid it to me. I'd never been much of a drinker; however I'd had a drink or two with Sirius and Remus at Grimmauld Place during the summer before my fifth year. I'd liked the taste and it helped me get past letting Cedric die at Voldemort's resurrection. If memory serves I'd had another drinking night sometime around the end of my sixth year.

"And were pray tell did you get this?" I asked as I took up the glass. "I have my doubts it was local."

"Our mutual benefactor thought it might be needed," Rosalind stated cryptically.

My hand stopped as the glass touched my lips.

"Our mutual benefactor eh?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "I can assume that this is the same person who got me out of the tender mercy of the Goblin Nation and then handed my debt over to you. Am I right?"

"You would be correct Mister Potter," Robert answered.

"And who pray tell is this mysterious benefactor?" I asked with legitimate curiosity. The family and I had spent nearly the whole month after my release trying to figure out who had got me my freedom and even with the help we'd never figured it out. Long lists that just led to dead ends.

"I'm afraid we are unable to tell you who she is," replied Rosalind.

"Why ever not?" I asked with an edge in my voice.

"We are unable to due to something she did," answered Robert this time. "I believe she called it a geas."

That brought me up short. I'd heard that term somewhere before, but I couldn't for the life of me remember where. I racked my brain for several seconds, but still couldn't remember it. I gave a sigh and took a sip of my whiskey. I felt it burn down my throat like I remembered. I gave another sigh expelling a small plume of smoke that seemed to shock the twins which caused me to grin.

"When they call if Firewhiskey they mean Firewhiskey," I stated with a chuckle then my face turned somber. "I'm sorry for snapping at you two earlier by the way. After leaving the fairgrounds? It was uncalled for."

"Think nothing of it Mister Potter," spoke Robert as he took my now empty glass.

"Indeed," agreed Rosalind. "You've had a lot on your plate recently."

"Before I continue on this crazy mission you've set before me," I continued. "I need you both to answer some questions for me. And I need you both to be as honest as you can be with me. Honestly I probably should have asked them well before now, but we never really got the chance."

I saw them share a meaningful look between themselves in much the same way Fred and George would do; like they were talking with looks alone. I gave a relieved sigh when they both nodded. That would make this journey so much easier…hopefully.

"I understand this geas stops your from telling me about this benefactor, but is there anything you can tell me about her?" I asked before I gave a sigh and shrugged my shoulders. "Other than that she's a woman at least."

"All we can say is that she seems to hold a great deal of power and from the meeting we saw her have with the goblin leader was that he feared her greatly," answered Robert with a grimace. Just what was this geas for it to cause pain at mentioning something that minor?

His answer sent my mind buzzing with worry though. I'd figured she'd had some serious clout just for getting me out, let alone convincing Ragnuk to give me all the property and contents from my family vaults; however who was this woman to scare the leader of the Goblin Nation. These were warriors who'd even gone to war with wizards in the past; and from what I'd heard feared no beast on earth. Yet this woman had scared them into releasing someone who'd broken into their bank and for all purposes stolen from them.

"Okay," I conceded and decided to focus on questions they'd be able to answer. "What brought you to come to me? I doubt I was your first choice at least."

"You'd be correct," started Rosalind. "You were indeed not our first choice. We'd originally wanted another; however some unforeseen event happened before we could recruit him. Thus we were at a dilemma when she came into the scenario. She'd suggested yourself and told us about you in great detail. Needless to say we accepted her offer with little options afforded to us."

"It was Booker DeWitt. Wasn't it?" I asked remembering the name on the wooden box Rosalind had handed me on the boat. They both nodded solemnly. "He's dead isn't he? That was the unforeseen event." Another nod from them. I wonder what happened to him. I then thought about the rest of their answer. "She told you everything huh?"

"Yes Mister Potter," said Rosalind. "She said we couldn't find a better choice. And so far…" She simply looked at me with that judgmental look of hers that reminded me a bit too much of a certain potions bastard.

I stood up after finishing my drink and made my way over to Rosalind as she was still standing at the door leading to what I could only assume was the kitchen. I glared at her as she didn't move only holding a platter with a vial of yellow liquid on top that I hadn't noticed before. She handing me a handkerchief that I eyed with some confusion.

"You may want to be more careful next time Mister Potter," she said primly as she pointed to her left cheek.

I raised my hand touching my right cheek and came away with a bloody hand. One of the officers must have grazed me during the fire fight. I took the handkerchief from her and walked back over to Robert who'd returned to cleaning the counter top. I pulled out the bottle of Firewhiskey and splashed some onto the handkerchief then pressed it to the cut. Little know fact about Firewhiskey was that putting it against a minor wound not only disinfects the cut, but it can also close it up if it's not too grievous. Learned that little tidbit after a quidditch match in my sixth year…really need to thank Katie for that little bit of knowledge. The burning sensation isn't fun though. I used the handkerchief to rub the rest of the blood off before looking down at my shirt and vest to see some spots of blood but not as bad as I thought it'd be.

"Considering your little injury you may find that to be quite handy," stated Robert from the bar motioning to the yellow vial his sister still held.

"It may be the difference between life and death," continued Rosalind as she met my glare with a look of indifference. I picked it up and stared at it wondering what this could be.

"One last question," I said as I stared into Rosalind's sharp blue eyes. "I heard that you were in the tower. Why do you need me to free the girl when you both seem to be able to go wherever and however you want? And don't give me that tripe about this being my debt."

I saw an emotion I hadn't seen cross Rosalind's eyes at that moment: regret.

"Because we can't Mister Potter," she said in a quiet voice. "My brother and I are bound by laws that you do not understand. However maybe someday you will. For now just know that we are doing this for her benefit. Just bring her to New York and your debt with us is no more."

I continued to look into her eyes and saw nothing but that look of regret added to a feeling of honesty there. And with that I popped the cork of the bottle and downed the vial. I felt my magic serge in a way around my body like I'd never felt. I suddenly felt stronger; almost reinforced. I focused my magic around my hand and saw yellow lines, like electricity, spider web around my arm. This would indeed be useful.

"Surprising it didn't kill him," I heard Rosalind quip. Apparently they'd been having a conversation I'd not been paying attention to.

"But a magnetic repulsive field around one's body comes in handy." I looked at Robert after he'd made that statement.

"So this will protect me from bullets and possibly more?" I asked.

"Correct," answered Robert. "It's not perfect however. We augmented it to work like a vigor, however it does take time to recharge if too much damage is done. Oh that reminds me." He pulled out a glowing blue flask from behind the bar. "You may want to keep an eye out for these. They help you regain energy to use your vigors. I'm sure you've felt weak after using them."

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously as Rosalind moved to the side to let me through. "I haven't felt weak at all."

"Pardon?" asked Rosalind from her place beside me as I faced her. "You use energy when you use vigors. Everyone does. That's why salts were invented to replenish those when they use them."

"I don't know what to tell you," I shrugged. "Maybe since I was magical it works differently for me. Magic users are like factories for magical energy in my world. Maybe that's why. I make my own salts naturally I guess."

Both gave me odd looks as I walked out the door into the kitchen area, it was simple enough with the standard flare. Although I did notice a hot dog with mustard and relish on a plate next to a bottle of soda pop. I happily picked both up as I made my way out of the kitchen through the pantry and storage area.

"Father Comstock called me today to write his biograph," I nearly chocked on my food when another voice popped up in my head again. This time I got the image of a younger man with a fedora and bowtie in my head. "Me! The man pays for exactly 100 pages, in advance. Now, I'm half a Jew when I smell silver." I snort as I take a drink from my pop thinking this guy would do well with the goblins. "So I say. I say: 'Father, your flock would pay for a thousand, you know. Why settle for less?' And then, the Prophet looks at me and says, 'One hundred will suffice, as I know how it ends."

I pause as I stand before a large wall of windows leading out of the storage area. Not much in that, but it did tell me two things of importance. Comstock's not motivated by greed; that could be bad since it goes with the second thing that voice stated: he's supremely confident in his goal. That part was what scared me. That's what made Riddle and before him Grindelwald so dangerous.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as I saw a blue gunship float by outside the window. That must be what the police officers ride on since I could see a few officers on it. My thoughts were cut short at hearing someone talking over a loudspeaker somewhere.

"Blood on the streets!" it sounded loudly from what I could now deduce was the gunship. I made my way over to the door and crouched down beside it to listen in to this announcement. "And worse is the insult, because today is the day that marks our secession from the Sodom below!" Well now I know what this celebration was for. Bully for me.

I saw them float off into the clouds and saw one of those large zeppelins soar slowly through the sky. I made my way down some steps on the side of the building to a point where it dead-ended. I was cursing my luck when I felt the skyhook I'd hooked to my belt tug slightly up. I looked down at it confusedly as I moved back and felt it stop. I stepped back forward and felt it tug again and looked up following the direction the motion was towards only to see a large metal hook. Maybe…are they magnetized? Then I remembered seeing those police officers riding on the rails when they came to stop me after the raffle. That had to be it.

I grabbed my skyhook in my left hand and felt it pull harder when I pointed it toward the hook. I was so confused how it could work like that when it wasn't pulling me toward any other metal items. Maybe they were made like that. With a shrug I stepped back against the wall. Hopefully I'm right about this thing. I shoved myself forward off the wall and took two steps before swinging my arm towards the hook and leaping off the edge. I felt myself leave the ground with ease thanks to the magnetized skyhook surprising me that there was little to know pause in the leap. I'd been expecting a feeling of falling before the hook would pull me so it caught me flat footed.

I surveyed the area a tad from my new vantage point and thankful that the gunship from earlier had moved on. I saw another hook only a little ways down and started to swing myself with momentum before launching myself to it. Once again I was surprised with the easy I was able to do this with. I swung again to another hook on an adjacent building and nearly missed the armed officer patrolling on the roof of the next building. I panicked for a split second as he turned to look in my direction and with a swing I flew down on top of him like a hawk diving from the sky. I lodged the skyhook in his chest ending his life with a grimace. I idly noted that I didn't feel any pain at all even though I'd hit the man from a fall of over twenty feet. Maybe this was something else that yellow potion they'd given me had done.

I was brought out of my musings as I heard a shrill whistle from the other side of the roof I'd just landed on. Looking around I noticed a gun that the officer dropped on impact and reached for it. It looked like a submachine gun that I thought looked a little out of place in this time period, but I wasn't one to complain at the moment. I crouched behind some crates and poked slightly over the top to see at least three more officers on the roof with one heading slightly my way. I groaned as I was hoping I'd just be able to make my way around the roofs with little resistance.

"There's someone there!" the lead officer yield to his partners. Of course they'd seen me. I thought of making a stand here but I felt a warmth come over my left hand and looked down to see it glowing that ghostly green when I was using Possession. I decided to trust my instincts and launched that same female specter towards the officer that'd called out to his partners. He seemed to not see the ghostly form, maybe only the wielder was the only one who could see it, as it hit him square in the chest. I saw the form whisper to him before he turned and started shooting his partners who were caught unaware. He then looked at the specter that he could now see and nodded as it whispered to him again and he took off running around the corner with a yell.

After a few seconds a caught a glimpse of the specter return to me and I looked at my left hand oddly. I felt the warm safe feeling radiate from it and was starting to question just what Possession actually was. My musings were cut short however as I heard that same female voice from earlier over the PA system again.

"As our Prophet has seen," she started, "the False Shepherd has come!"

"Oh brilliant," I groaned. "They're talking about me again."

"He has come to take our lamb and lead her astray," she continued. I stealthily made my way around the rooftop taking some machine gun clips for my new weapon and keeping an eye out for any more 'friends.' Making my way towards the other side of the roof, I came face to face with a gunship like the one I'd seen fly by earlier; and of course the bloody thing had to have a automated turret on it that locked onto me. I brought my submachine gun up and laid into it fast trying to take it out before it could put me down. I didn't take much from the gun to destroy it; however I still felt two impacts in my chest area. I wince as I looked down expecting to see blood pouring onto the ground, but I was shocked and pleased to see nothing on my person and to crumpled pieces of metal at my feet. I guess that yellow stuff really does work I thought with a grin. My happiness was short lived though as I heard more whistles and that haunting thrum of another gunship heading this way.

Believing I'd had enough for now I bolted around a corner trying to avoid another gun fight and nearly ran into another officer running in my direction. I'd only had a second to realize it was a female officer when her eyes widened in shock at seeing me. I knew I didn't have time for much of a reaction and laid her out with a shoulder check against the wall banging her head against it and knocking her out. I felt bad about it, but I didn't have time to dwell and took off again.

I rounded another corner and saw another gunship coming through the steam clouds around the roof. I ran harder coming to where another building with a skylight on its roof was and thinking quickly and trusting that I'd been right about that yellow liquid and leapt from one roof to the next. In flight I aimed my body towards a window that was part of the skylight and crashed through it landing on a large king-sized, four posted bed with a thud. I winced as I felt some pain lance through my side that I'd landed on, but it wasn't anything like what I should have been feeling. I guess it really does have a limit. Looking up with my gun drawn I waited to see if I'd been spotted, however after a minute or so I hard the thrum of the gunship pass by and gave a sigh of relief.

Looking around the room I was glad no one had been in it when I'd made my textbook action hero entrance. I gave a chuckle at that thought thinking of a few Bond films I'd seen with Dora, Sirius, and Ted. They'd be so proud. I made it to my feet feeling less sore now and made my way to the balcony with caution. Not seeing anymore gunships a surveyed where I needed to go next and saw another hook on the next building. With a quick glance where I needed to go so I wouldn't linger, I swung up to the hook with my skyhook before swinging again to the next large balcony. Once again I marveled at the feeling of landing from another great height with no pressure. Scanning my surroundings I made my way to a pair of double doors, I also noticed several tables with wine and bread on them. Must be a restaurant or something like it.

Opening the door I was met with a pantry or store room of some kind.

"Violence is not the answer!" I heard someone say from the next room through the door. A male's voice if I had to put money on it. "As much as I support her cause and her people, blood must not be shed." I put my gun over my shoulder on a sling as I listened in.

"What do you expect these poor negroes to do?" I heard a woman ask the man. "How they treat them-it was bound to happen!"

"Violence is not a forgone conclusion," the man responded.

Before opening the door to attempt to get through and hope that these people were as peaceful as they sounded. I saw a poster on the wall with a black man in a loincloth or sheet on bended knee with his bound hands held up. The poster was apparently for 'A Meeting of the Columbia Friends of the Negro Society.' At least they're seemed to be some people up here that were fighting for change. That filled me with hope that not everyone up here were as bad as I'd seen at the raffle.

I pushed open the door slowly and walked in calmly. I saw a large printing press in the room with papers littered everywhere: along with several crates, a grandfather clock, and large table with chairs on top. The room connected to another larger one with several more printing presses and more leaflets and paper. As I entered I heard a woman gasp and turned to see two people, a man and woman, looking at me warily. The man in particular gave me a meaningful look before I saw his eyes widen. I felt myself tense up ready for a fight.

"It's him," he mumbled just loud enough for me to hear. "The one they're after. Go they're looking for you."

"You're not going to turn me in?" I asked in shock.

"You helped those two poor souls at the raffle we heard," he stated simply. "You can't be all that bad."

I gave him a slight smile when I realized what he was talking about and gave a small salute before nodding to the lady. Before I could say anything however there was a pounding on the door behind them.

"Police! We're in need of your assistance."

I cursed internally as I quickly made my way around the corner leading down a simple hallway and hid in one of the rooms. I saw several cots in the room with scattered belongings around and two black men sleeping in two of them. I placed my ear against the door to listen to what was happening out there. I didn't hear much since it seemed the room was sealed very well. Suddenly I heard a muffled voice of a police officer say that they were moving on. I gave it a few seconds before I opened the door again. With a wary look around I figured that the officers really had left and nodded my thanks to the couple again before making my way farther down the hall towards a nice study. I made my way towards the window looking outside and watched the officers move off in their routes again. I waited a few minutes before venturing out and came out in another fair area by the looks of it as stalls were around with wagons and a stage for a Wild West Show. The show looked like it was run by a man named Preston Downs, a marksman and game hunter of legend as the banner said. I took time to look at the stuffed animals littering the stage with some awe that someone had been able to hunt such a large bear or the massive tiger skinned rug. I also noticed that from the mess on the stage and the surrounding area that the people had left in a hurry. Most likely after word spread that the False Shepherd was in Columbia I thought with a sigh as I placed my hand on the stage floor.

"Comstock came by the wagon at dawn," I heard a different voice in my head of a man with a deep southern drawl. Must be Downs I thought as I got an image of a middle aged man with a clipped goatee and a Stetson hat with teeth on the hat band. "Man was just…he just transfixed by my trophy scalps. Asked about the white ones, there. I said. 'Well sir—if your quarry dwells in the jungle, and beds down with the local color, why split hairs?" He gave a jovial laugh at his twisted joke and I felt my knuckles pop from clenching my fist. This man, no this animal, was talking about hunting people for sport. "Not a chuckle out of him. Either he ain't seen a man go native, or maybe…maybe too many. Anyhow, now he's got me huntin' down this 'Daisy Fitzroy.' Hope he don't expect me to stuff and mount her."

I swallowed my anger and mentally tabbed Downs as another thing I'd have to put down when I came across him. I made my way away from the stage and stopped in front of another automated turret stationed on an overhang. When it didn't fire I relaxed. Odd. Wonder why that's not ready for trespassers. I shrugged thinking it was a happy bit of good look before moving on glancing up at the looming obelisk of Monument Island. I suddenly noticed I was coming upon an odd gate with a weird symbol on top of said gate and on each side of it. I noticed as well an ominous steam mist float around this part of the city that put me on edge. The symbol was that of a stylized eye and swords crossing behind it with a banner with Latin writing on it. Audemus Patria Nostra Defendere. We Dare Defend Our Country. Glad most of our spells back home were in Latin, although I think someone didn't really know what they were saying with that message since the grammars off.

I walked up to the doors and pushed them open revealing a shadowed courtyard with a statue at its center. I could here ravens or crows cawing nearly everywhere inside. Okay this place is a little creepy. I walked forward pistol drawn and on alert. I noticed that the shadow effect was coming from Monument Island itself. I heard the gate shut behind me as I made my way up to the statue. It reminded me of the disgraceful statue that Riddle had put in the atrium of the Ministry back home. This however was a statue of whom I could only think was Comstock fighting a three headed dragon, but the three heads were caricatures of a black man, an Asian man, and I believe a Jewish man. I shook my head as I read the plague at the bottom of the statue. Comstock Fights the Serpent of Nations. What tripe.

With a final disgusted shake of my head as I moved around it towards the double doors of the large, ominous building and stopped seeing several ravens congregating around it. I gulped thinking of the movie by that Hitchcock bloke, steeled myself as I pushed the doors open my gun and temporary magic ready for whatever may be behind it.


	6. Chapter 6

~O0o-(A Wizard in the Clouds)-o0O~

Harry Potter X Bioshock Infinite

Chapter 6

1912

Columbia

Cautiously I pushed the double doors open and looked inside to see a dimly lit welcome area that gave me an ominous feeling. Lights were flickering and again I was put off by the number of crows everywhere; or were those ravens? The welcome room was circular with several portraits around it. I also spied some coat racks with weird robes hanging from them. The most disturbing thing however was a raised bowl at its center with rotten food in it and several crows eating from it happily. I could smell the rot slither up my nose as I passed it and walked under a banner in black with that eye symbol on it and writing. Order of the Raven huh? Seems appropriate. Maybe they are ravens.

Walking out of the entryway I found myself looking at another large statue with ravens or crows perched on its shoulders. I'm really starting to think these people up here have some sort of morbid fascination with statues. The statue was of a man with a mustache holding a small pistol in his outstretched hand: possibly a Derringer. On a plague at the feet of the statue read the name John Wilkes Booth. It took me a few seconds of wracking my brain to remember who this man was. According to my lessons, Booth was a southern democrat actor who assassinated President Lincoln after the American Civil War. So this Order of the Raven was fans of his then. Hopefully just fans of his acting career. I paused at that thought as it felt like someone was giving me a mocking look at that little joke. Everyone is a critic, even my own inner self I suppose.

Scanning the rest of the large room told me I was in some sort of way-point with twin grand staircases leading behind the statue and two separate rooms on either side of the room. The place was also in shambles; like the Order didn't really care how the place looked. Got to say it sure added to the Gothic feel of the place. I decided to keep to the stealthy angle I'd been attempting so I could try and avoid any trouble. All I really cared about was getting out of here and to Monument Island after all. I moved towards my right and scanned the room. I dipped behind the door frame as I saw a sharply dressed, bald man walking away from me along the side of a massive dinning table at the center of the room. The dinning table was packed with plates piled with rotting food everywhere and more of the black birds all along it feasting upon the literal spoils. It gave me a queasy feeling just watching them.

I tore my eyes away as I saw the man exit the room at the far end of it. Relaxing slightly I scanned the room some more and saw a massive fireplace with a raven statue above it. On one side of the room opposite from the entrance was a large painting with a halo clad Booth shooting a devil-horned Abraham Lincoln in a theatre box. Definitely not fans of his acting career. Making my way down the table towards the other doorway I'd seen the bald man exit through I stopped when I heard something strange. The cawing of the birds stopped. I turned my attention back to the long dinning table and gulped at what I saw. Nearly a hundred red eyes staring at me from those birds. I hadn't realized how many there had been in this room. Wait…neither ravens nor crows have red eyes; they have brown eyes. Just as this thought went through my head the red eyes suddenly faded back to brown in each and they all turned back to their feast. Well all but one. It was easily the biggest of the bunch and perched on the statue above the fireplace.

Bloody thing had to be the leader. At least three feet tall and I couldn't tell you how heavy. Those same red eyes shown with an eerie glow about them as it starred me down. Almost like it was judging me. I suddenly heard a sound to my left that nearly made me jump; it was the sound of footsteps approaching. The bald man must be coming back. I looked back to where the large raven was and took an involuntary step back. It was gone. No sound. Nothing. No way could that great bloody thing have hopped off of that mantle without making some sort of sound. Unfortunately I had more pressing matters with the footsteps getting closer. I hid myself along the wall and waited for my guest to show up. Poor bastard didn't even know what hit him when I smashed his jaw with my skyhook. As he fell I pulled my pistol and pointed it down the way he'd come from seeing a gloomy study that lead to what I could only assume was the other room from the statue room. I dragged the man out of sight and laid him down making my way down through the study room. I saw more birds, although these weren't that interested in me like the ones in the dinning hall had been. Probably due to the fact they were fighting over some rotting meat. Eww.

I came upon a parlor room that seemed empty with a large bar on one side with two stained glass windows on either side. The window on the right depicted a toga-clad, angelic George Washington with the confederate army in the background. The other window on the left was of a demonic Abraham Lincoln if that smokestack top hat was anything to go by. I couldn't help to shake my head at these people ignorant and inaccurate. With a sigh to myself I turned and spotted a large seal on the wall opposite the bar that read: Protecting Our Race.

"And when the angel Columbia gave unto the Founders the tools to build the new Eden," I heard Comstock in my head again. At least I'm getting used to these little snippets of madness. "They did so without hesitation. For eighty-five years, they prepared the way of the Lord. But when the Great Apostate came," at this statement my head turned to look at the demonic painting of Lincoln for some reason, "he brought war with him, and the fields of Eden were soaked with the blood of brothers. The only emancipation he had to offer was death."

I gave a less than dignified snort and shook my head as I exited back into the statue room that I'd started in. Some people really need to be knocked off their high horse. Well I guess I've been doing that nearly my whole life. Maybe I should make a career out of it.

I stopped at the base of the stairs and holstered my pistol before making my way up. I didn't dare put my hand on the guardrail since it like the rest of the place had multiple spots covered in bird shit. At the top of the stairs was a short hallway with double doors leading to the next room. I cautiously made my way towards it and pushed it open with a light creaking.

"And so," I heard a man's voice call out as I made my way down another short hallway on the other side of the doors towards a balcony overlooking a chapel like room. "The Prophet led us into Peking where we demonstrated to the Sodom below the true mission our Founders had given us."

Looking down I saw men in blue robes with hoods similar to the ones I'd seen the Death Eaters wear once upon a time with their faces covered by pointed hoods. At the head was a man dressed in similar black robes preaching to his followers. I could also see a saber at his side as well as a…coffin. A coffin on his back. Okay that's a new one. What also caught me off guard were the three crows flying around him. Behind him on a wall was a massive mural of Washington holding the bell of liberty with an angelic lady holding a banner over his head with multiple people looking up to him.

"And when the Mandarins and hypocrites of Washington betrayed him, our Prophet did not heel. He did not come crawling for their forgiveness…Like our fathers broke from the Great Apostate, our Prophet broke with these so called patriots and today is the day we celebrate the secession."

As the men listen to their leader I took a second to count heads and counted at least seven plus the leader. That was a few more than I was willing to scrap with to be sure. I need to find a way around them.

"Don't you fucking move boy," I heard a gravelly voice from behind me as I felt the barrel of a gun place at the back of my skull and cursed myself for not keeping a look out behind me.

"Whatcha got up there brother," I heard the leader call up from below and cut my eyes down to see him and the other men looking up toward me. Even the crows that'd been flying around him had stopped and perched on the railing behind the leader on the stage.

"Seems somebody trespassing into our roost brother," the man behind me snarled with distaste. My mind went buzzing as I tried to figure out a way out of this.

"And who might you be?" asked the so called Crow. "Your not one of ours."

"I'd heard of you lot," I said cautiously. "The best protectors in Columbia. Figured I'd see if there could be an opening."

Silence answered me after my statement with the men still staring at me as I started to curse myself again.

"Bring him down here brother," called their leader.

"You heard him," the man behind me growled as he shoved me to the right along the balcony towards some stairs leading down to where the others were. Luckily he wasn't rushing me down so I had a few moments to try and figure out a way out of this mess. Luckily by the time I was before the leader of this merry band of cultists I'd come up with a brilliant plan.

"So you've heard of us then?" asked the masked leader.

"Indeed sir," I replied as I discreetly glanced at the others around taking in certain details. The main thing I discovered was really fortuitous for my plan. The only people with weapons were the leader and the bloke with the gun to my head. I might actually be able to pull this off. "You lot are actually fairly famous from what I've heard. Protectors of Columbia and all that. How could I not have heard of you?"

"You may know of us boy," sneered the man behind me. "But we ain't the trustin' sort when trespassers enter our roost."

"Calm brother," stated the leader. "After all isn't every day that the foretold False Shepherd comes to our doorstep." I could hear angry murmurs from the other six men at that proclamation. Time to see if they take the bait.

"Wow," I exclaimed in fact astonishment. "You really are as sharp as he said you'd be."

"Oh?" the leader asked curiously. "And who was it that said that about us then?"

I paused to build a little tension. "Why I'm talking about Prophet Comstock of course." I heard gasps from most of the men in the group aside from the man behind me and the leader. Although I did feel the gun barrel shift slightly to show my statement had confused him as well. I was hopeful this little ploy might at least allow me to escape if they thought I was actually one of theirs.

"And why would he be talking to the False Shepherd?" the leader said though gritted teeth. I could hear the anger in his voice. Unlike his mates, I'd hazard to guess he wasn't really believing what I was peddling. That was fine though since he wasn't the bastard with a gun to my head.

"Well mate," I began. "It's been what? Nearly twenty years since this new Eden was founded right?" I could feel several of them eye me critically even if the leader and my captor didn't move or react; I could tell they were curious to some degree. I'm just glad I'd paid attention to those Kinetoscopes around this city.

"This is the nineteenth year since the Prophet completed paradise for those worthy," stated my captor proudly before continuing. "Ten years since we broke away from them backstabbers in Washington. Is there a point to this?"

I never took my eyes off of the leader since next to my captor he was the most dangerous person here. I could feel it somehow. "And in all that time the fabled False Shepherd has never come. I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this."

"Say I believe you?" started the leader calmly. "That you're here in Columbia on orders from our Prophet. That you're here to make sure we keep vigilant. You've still killed plenty of our fellow citizens and police officers. Innocents we are tasked to protect. If you're to keep us vigilant then shouldn't we just kill you to prove to our Prophet and our people that we are the protectors of this city?"

Bloody hell! I was hoping these bastards would at least relax some after telling them I was here on his orders. However it seems they'd rather just off me to prove a point. I may have one more trick up my sleeve though.

"Well I guess you could," I stated with as much confidence as I could muster and it came out clearer than I felt, especially since I was planning to channel some of my own demons. "He did tell me that sometimes sacrifices were necessary for the greater good. However, your order isn't the ones he wanted to test." I could see the leader cock his head in curiosity. "He wanted to test the rest. Look around. Everyone here in this city is so…complacent. Few people up here know what it means to struggle for anything. They've been gifted with paradise, yet the one prophesized to take their lamb and bring down their Eden comes knocking at the door they fled. Just like sheep."

I could see that struck a cord with the leader.

"Honestly," I continued. "I was greatly disappointed. I'd thought they would have all turned on me as soon as I was announced at the rally. Instead as soon as I fought back against the officers the sheep fled." While I could see it was working somewhat I now was having a bigger problem: Keeping my own temper in check since I was hitting on some old wounds. My history with the magical community was still a subject I took issue with. Sheep were sheep after all.

"You sure do talk a lot mister Shepherd," snidely growled the man behind me.

"Why would our Prophet Comstock sacrifice his own people just to test them? He could have easily just spread the word that the False Shepherd was in Columbia and accomplished the same test. No deaths," stated Crow as he began to pace the stage. "You must think were pretty stupid to attempt such a story with us."

Well he wasn't wrong. I was thinking they would be more gullible, but it seems I'd underestimated their intelligence.

"Any last words False Shepherd?" he stated with a bored drawl and a hint of venom at the title. His next statement died on his lips when we all heard a large thump behind us. It took everything I could not to react forcing the man behind me to shoot, but I soon felt the barrel move slowly off of my head.

"Great God," I heard the man behind me mutter as he looked behind him and up at the balcony I'd just been on before my interrogation. I looked behind me slowly and caught a glimpse of that same massive black raven from earlier. Its eyes still blazing red as it stared down at us. "Could this be a sign brother?"

Before anything else could happen the massive raven beat its wings and dived down towards us, or more accurately the man who'd been holding a gun to my head. This seemed to be the signal for battle. He screamed in fright as he fired off a round harmlessly into the ceiling. I took this as my time to act and smashed him in the side of the head with my elbow stunning him. Within the next second I covered up deflecting a haymaker blow from one of the other men and barreled into him like a cannonball. I grabbed his robes and flipped him over my head into the other charging men disrupting their assault. This gave me the chance to fire up my vigors and sent my possession spirit at the armed man I'd just stunned mere seconds ago. The vigor struck true bringing him under control to help me fight.

At a mental shift I summoned balls of flames in my hands lobbing the right at the group to my front. I idly heard shots fired just as the ball collided with my attackers and explode. I put up my arm to shield my eyes before lobbing the left at another attacker who'd been spared by the first attack. I could clearly hear the screams of the men on fire, though I admit it didn't move me like it once would have. These men had been willing to kill me in cold blood. They deserved no mercy. It wasn't long before I and my controlled ally were all that was standing. Although I did note that the leader had somehow fled the room in the melee. I looked towards my controlled ally when I saw the phantom disperse. I pulled my pistol preparing to put him down as well when he shakily put his gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. I grimaced as I heard the pop and blood splatter from his mask before he fell.

I stared at the fallen man as I felt bile rush up to my throat. Did…did I just cast an Imperio? Is that what this vigor was modeled after? Before I could be sick however I felt a calming feeling wash over me. Like something was cradling my soul and soothing my worries. The spirit of possession had done this, not me. This spirit had acted on my needs and protected me. Besides I highly doubt this man had been a good person.

I looked to my right and saw a ghostly green orb floating near my shoulder. I knew on instinct this must be the spirit of possession.

"Thanks for the help," I stated honestly. I saw it bob in contentment before shooting back into me. I looked around the room curious where the leader had run off to. I'd not expected him to just run leaving his 'brothers' to die. I then noticed on the far right of the stage he'd been standing on was a double door that'd been thrown open in a rush. Door number one it is.

"What exactly was the 'Great Emancipator' emancipating the Negro from?" came the voice of Comstock again. I was really starting to get tired of these damn snippets of memories. "From his daily bread. From the nobility of honest work. From wealthy patrons who sponsored them from cradle to grave. From clothing and shelter. And what have they done with their freedom? Why, go to Finkton, and you shall find out. No animal is born free, except the white man. And it is our burden to care for the rest of creation."

I felt my knuckles pop and my teeth grind as I listened to Comstock's drivel while looking at the mural more closely. I now could notice the people looking up to Washington were caricatures of different races of people from all over the world. It reminded me of my time with the Dursleys. It reminded me of Tom Riddle and his death eaters. It reminded me of the tales of Gellert Grindelwald and his Acolytes. It even reminded me of some of my muggle history from primary, along with the clipped history lessons I'd been given before being brought to Columbia, of Hitler and his Nazis. I gave a sigh of frustration as the calming feeling washed over me again. There would always be people like this no matter what dimension I could imagine. People who always needed to be superior to someone else for one reason or another. Race. Culture. Blood purity. Magic. Wealth. Morality. Information. It didn't matter they all fall the same sooner or later. Damn cockroaches.

I made my way cautiously onto the stage keeping my head on a swivel for anymore enemies. Looking down the small hallway past the double doors was some steps leading up into another set of double doors. With a final cursory look around the hall to make sure I was alone I continued up to the double doors and through.

I came into what looked like a large study with desks and bookcases everywhere.

"Shorty after 1 o'clock this afternoon," I heard a voice from an old time radio up in a sitting area under a large portrait of a man I didn't recognize off hand. "The scoundrel, believed by many to be Vox Populi, began his terrible rampage." I'm going to take a random stab that they must be talking about me. "Trouble came almost instantly. Full of wrath and bent on harm. The Anarchist maliciously wounded several Columbian Peacemakers, before then arming himself and firing into an assemblage of virtuous fair goers." This guy must be an ancestor of Skitter with that drivel his spouting. I didn't attack anyone who didn't threaten me first. I believe I even left most of the buggers breathing thank you very much.

"As of this hour, he is considered wholly responsible for causing at least eight God fearing Columbians to meet their Maker in Heaven." Sure we'll go with that. I was looking around the study for anything to figure out where the leader had disappeared to while continuing to listen to the garbage from the radio. "He is considered brimming with danger and evil intent and we implore you not to tempt ruination by facing him without aid of Columbia's finest. Now back to the music." I snorted as a song titled "Makin' Woopee" started to rise from the speakers. At least their being told not to approach me; that may make things easier in the long run. Not noticing any other places the leader could have scurried off to I made my way towards the side of the study where an ornate elevator was located. Pressing the button inside I felt the elevator start to move upward and redrew my pistol as a precaution.

In a few short seconds I came to a room with that same eye symbol on the wall facing the elevator. I cautiously peered around the door making sure no one with ill intent was waiting for me; luckily no one seemed to be. Moving out of the room quickly around the room I slowly opened yet another set of double doors. These doors led me into a massive octagonal room with balconies all around the top. Like the rest of this building there were crows everywhere in this room. This must be their meeting room. At the center of the room was a massive round table with an old movie projector on it playing some old silent images of the native people of America along with some other pictures including Comstock himself. I saw a white bookcase to my right that seemed out of place with the rest of the room and its dark gothic colors. Past the table was another set of steps leading to more double doors. Really starting to see some design patterns around here. Finally to my left I saw an off shoot office and made my way towards it.

Unfortunately, or fortunately there didn't seem to be anyone waiting around for me in the shadows.

"Sweet mother of Columbia," came a raspy voice through my head. I hadn't heard this voice before. Maybe one of the order members. "Why do we worship three symbols in your memory? We worship the sword, so that we may avenge you. We worship the raven, so that we might cover the city with eyes. We worship the coffin, because it symbolizes the weight of our failure."

That was cryptic to be sure. Odd that the symbols differ from the symbols of Columbia that I saw when I first arrived at the welcome center. Maybe they vary throughout the city or maybe just this group. Perhaps…perhaps I hadn't been wrong when I'd called them protectors. They never corrected me on that part of my bluff. What do they mean by failure though? I moved to head towards the steps leading to the double doors when some light caught my eye; light coming from beside the bookcase. I cautiously made my way over to it with my pistol ready. With a hardy push I was able to move it to the side to reveal I hidden room. One I'd wished I hadn't found.

It was a storage room with a cell in it. A cell where a prisoner had been kept recently. I could tell by the blood trail leading out of the cell that still looked fresh. I backed out and could now see the blood leading to the double doors I'd been about to enter. I bolted for the door intent on help whoever was captured here with all the speed I could muster. I had to try. I had to save this person whoever they were.

"Why do you do this?!" I heard a cry from behind the door as I got closer. "I just want to go back to my family!"

I slammed into the door with my shoulder, but it only moved enough for me to peer in to the right do to the security chain. Unfortunately, this forced me to watch in horror as some poor man with light skin that was strapped to a wooden slab as a murder of crows attacked him. I tried to repeatedly bang at the chain before it finally gave way, however by then it was too late as the man had been pecked to death by those crows. I whip my head towards the source of the crows that'd killed the man to see the leader I'd met earlier walking calmly away. Enraged at not being able to save the man I brought my pistol up and fired at the retreating figure only for him…vanish…just like…disapparition?!

I shook my head at that sudden realization. If this man really could apparate and disapparate then this was going to be difficult. I moved forward into a large garden with odd looking golden cages around it. I'd just made it halfway across the bridge connecting the execution area to the garden when I heard the unholy flutter of wings behind me and only just managed to dive and roll as a saber passed were my head had once been.

"Die False Shepherd!" cried my attacker.

I'd only just managed to bring my gun up to fire at him when he vanished again. I growled in frustration. This is bad. I need a clear shot otherwise he's just going to keep this up till I tire out. Or…maybe I can make him run out of pep. The twins said everyone needs salts to use the vigors other wise they can't use them. Alright Potter plan A it is.

"Come on out coward," I called out mockingly. "I thought you lot were supposed to protect this city from the False Shepherd? Or do you plan to fail again?"

It didn't take long to get a reply although I'd barely avoided it again thanks to the noise from the crows. I'd just barely got my pistol up in time to block the saber. I could feel the hatred rolling off of my attacker which gave me a satisfied grin. I was able to parry his saber away with my pistol and brought my head to his with a dull thud. I felt the familiar stars burst slightly at the corners of my vision, but I was vindicated seeing my enemy stumble back. With a spark of inspiration I sent a thrust kick into his sternum pushing him back farther towards the end of the small bridge.

See most people only think of fire as the flames themselves, or even for some the molten lava of the earth. However there is another form of fire most people either don't think of, or simply think of it as its own separate thing. I brought up my off hand as it glowed hot and dripped with molten flames and focused my will and power on my intent. I snapped my fingers aiming my idea right at the center of mass of my enemy. Hoping that I was right in my assumption that these vigors were more like magic then simple one off party tricks; I was rewarded with a fiery explosion that engulfed the fowl man that'd killed a helpless man not but a few moments ago.

The man screamed in agony as the explosion ripped through him burning parts of him to ash as he clawed at himself in a feeble attempt to put out the flames. Not being a monster I put him out of his misery with a well placed bullet between his eyes which silenced him once and for all. I fought back the bile rising in my throat from both the heartlessness of the action and the smell of roasted flesh.

I glanced around the room I'd come into after the bridge since I was now able to without worry of attack. I was in a good size indoor garden of some sort with large walkways on both sides and large half-moon windows to let in the sparse light of the outside world. I also noticed a aviary-like ceiling though it looked overgrown with vines making the inside more shadowed than it should be. At its center was a large statue of the Lady Comstock kneeling in prayer. Seriously what is with the people here and large statues? Unfortunately, the gnarled trees of the garden had human-sized golden cages hanging from them. I didn't even need to look at them. I could smell the corpses within them.

Disgusted with these…peoples idea of décor, I made my way past the statue still hearing the cawing of the crows that this place was made for. I'd been hearing them nearly since I'd entered this place. However just as I was making my way past the front of the statue I stopped as my instincts told me to. I looked up and saw it again. That massive raven was on the statues clasped hands and staring at me once more. I was no longer intimidated by the bird and tilted my head up at it. This creature had saved my life back in that hall, but what could it want with me now. I was answered when I noticed it was holding something in its beak, something aqua colored by the glow. Before anything else could happen however it tossed the thing down to me and I caught it. It was an aqua and black vigor bottle with a crow's head on top. I remembered this vigor from a poster at the fair. Murder of Crows huh?

When I looked back up to the statue of the Lady Comstock to thank the raven I was shocked again to see it'd simply vanished again. This was starting to boggle me more than I'd care to admit. I looked down at the bottle in my hand.

"Well," I said to myself. "Bottoms up then."

I drained the bottle as I became astutely ware that I was again being watched by many eyes. As I finished the bottle I felt my magic thrum again with power and heard the flaps of many feathered wings. Next moment I was surrounded by crows as they circled me, my vision went black and white for a few seconds, and a lone crow landed on my arm much the same way Hedwig used to. It tilted its head at me before releasing a haunting caw; and it, along with its friends scattered to the winds. Three vigors down I wonder how many more were out there. With that final thought I made my way out of this morbid aviary and back out into Columbia. Again ready to find the girl Elizabeth.


End file.
